Dr. Hannah Kia awarded SSHRC grant

Assistant Professor Dr. Hannah Kia, together with a team of co-investigators and collaborators, has recently been awarded an Insight Development Grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) to examine the role of peer-based social support (PBSS) in building resilience among transgender (trans) and gender diverse (TGD) people. Despite growing evidence on the importance of PBSS in protecting against adverse outcomes among TGD populations, including suicidal ideation and suicide attempts, there continues to be little insight on how PBSS functions to contribute to the well-being of these groups. This study seeks to address this gap. Kia, with support from her colleagues on this grant and a team of research assistants, will conduct virtual interviews with approximately 40 TGD people (20 in Vancouver and 20 in Toronto) to explore the experiences and impacts of PBSS among participants. The team hopes to leverage the findings of this study to develop an understanding of how to incorporate PBSS in the design and delivery of services intended to support TGD people.