Nicole Roy
RESEARCH ASSISTANT BIO
My name is Nicole Roy (she/her), and I recently completed my third year majoring in psychology at the University of Alberta Augustana. I am from Wetaskiwin, Alberta, and come from a generation of farmers. Growing up, my grandparents and father constantly told stories and misadventures about the family pig farm and its operations.
Between these stories from my family and living in an agricultural community, I grew an appreciation for farmers and the agriculture industry as I became older. Additionally, I was able to experience firsthand the mental health issues that farmers face and the generational tolls farming can mentally have on retired farmers.
Through our research with AgKnow, I hope to contribute to decreasing farmers' mental health stigmatization and barriers to seeking help. Once I graduate, I plan to embark on a Masters in counselling psychology and eventually become a counsellor for adults in a rural community in Alberta.
CURRENT RESEARCH WORK
Nicole is working on the Community Services Study, which will help us understand the resources and services available for farmers and farm families across rural communities in Alberta. They have interviewed over 20 counsellors, social service providers, and those operating recreational programs in rural communities in Alberta. The goal is to understand the benefits gained from the users of these programs, and develop a set of best practices through lessons learned to help programs and services best reach and support those in rural communities.They have also conducted an environmental scan of any service or program across the province that supports the mental health needs of those in the farming community and are creating an interactive map that will be available on the AgKnow website.
