Name: Kimia Fardfini
Area of study: Health
In what program are you currently enrolled? Ph.D
What year of the program are you currently in? 1
Citation in APA format
Burns, R. J., & Fardfini, K. (2021). Prevalence and correlates of positive mental health among Canadian adults with type 1 or type 2 diabetes: Results from the Canadian Community Health Survey—Mental Health. Canadian Journal of Diabetes, 45(7), 601–606. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcjd.2020.12.001
Plain language abstract:
Current definitions of mental health are no longer limited to the presence or absence of mental disorders, such as depression or anxiety. The purpose of our study was to examine the occurrence of flourishing (i.e., a state of optimal positive mental health, defined by happiness, psychological and social wellbeing) mental health among Canadian adults diagnosed with diabetes. Data came from a national survey. Flourishing mental health was measured with the Mental Health Continuum – Short Form. Flourishing mental health was slightly more common in people without diabetes compared to people with diabetes. Among people with diabetes, those who were flourishing reported increased physical activity, better self-rated health, fewer comorbidities (i.e., asthma, current cancer, migraines, etc.) and were less likely to smoke cigarettes compared to those who were not flourishing.
How did the idea for this research come about?
My supervisor came up with the idea for this project. There’s plenty of research on mental health of people with diabetes. However, previous research focused almost exclusively on poor mental health (i.e., depressive symptoms), rather than the positive aspects, such as wellbeing. We wanted to gain an understanding of how common flourishing mental health was in this population.
How did you collect the data for this project?
We used the dataset “Canadian Community Health Survey – Mental Health” by Statistics Canada. I was able to download the dataset from the Carleton library!
Was the journal you published in the first journal you submitted this paper to?
Yes
Why did you choose this journal?
We chose the Canadian Journal of Diabetes as our dataset focused on Canadians. As well, this journal publishes on all aspects related to diabetes, so we figured this was a good starting point.
How many other journals did you submit this paper to before it landed in the journal that eventually published your work?
Zero
What was your revision experience?
My revision experience went better than I had anticipated. I had heard so many horror stories about how intense reviewers can be by requesting people to re-run their data or contrasting opinions between both reviewers, however, this wasn’t the case. Our reviewers did request some additional details regarding the dataset and discussion, but overall, the revisions took a week to complete. The most challenging part about the revision experience was drafting a reviewer letter as it was my first, but I was extremely grateful to have Dr. Burns’ guidance and support for every step. Overall, I learned a lot about the review process!
How many rounds of revision did you experience?
1
Did you need to collect new data to satisfy a reviewer?
No
How long did it take from first submission to acceptance?
4 months
Was this paper conducted as part of your MA thesis?
No
Was this paper conducted as part of your PhD dissertation?
No
How did this project come about?
My supervisor suggested this project during the first year of my MA as an opportunity to get training with large epidemiological datasets before jumping into my thesis data independently. As well, this project provided us with an opportunity to work together since I was new to her lab.
Was this research conducted with your supervisor?
Yes, with Dr. Rachel Burns
Was this research conducted with fellow graduate students in our program?
No
Was this research conducted with researchers external to Carleton?
No
You can access the article here.