At the 2025 Canadian Society for Epidemiology and Biostatistics Conference in Montreal, Quebec last week, the ARCH Lab delivered a compelling suite of research focused on child and youth mental health, chronic physical illness, and family dynamics. Their contributions spanned both poster presentations and oral talks, showcasing the lab’s depth and diversity.
Melissa Elgie, PhD candidate and Dr. Danielle Fearon, former postdoctoral fellow,both gave well-attended talks that drew attention to the psychological toll of chronic illness. Melissa presented findings on how parental anxiety correlates with poorer mental health in children with physical illness, moderated by family functioning and stress. Danielle’s presentation highlighted how multimorbidity increases vulnerability to unhappiness, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts among Canadian youth—underscoring the urgency of targeted mental health interventions.
Poster presentations by ARCH Lab trainees offered rich insights into pediatric mental health. Kiran Dhuga evaluated the clinical validity of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), while Dominique Basque mapped quality-of-life trajectories in youth with chronic illness and their siblings. Jothi Khaira and Emma Littler explored stress biomarkers—specifically hair cortisol—and their links to psychopathology, emphasizing the roles of socioeconomic disadvantage, parental stress, and mental health.
Lab director Dr. Mark Ferro presented epidemiological findings on early-life multimorbidity and its long-term psychosocial impacts. He was also honored with the 2025 Distinguished Service Award for his contributions to the field and to CSEB.
Together, these presentations and award reflect ARCH Lab’s commitment to advancing comprehensive, evidence-based approaches to child and youth health—bridging clinical insight with social context to inform better care and policy.
Awesome job ARCH Lab!
