Dr. Samantha Wells, Ph.D., is a Senior Scientist and Co-Director of the Institute for Mental Health Policy Research (IMHPR) at CAMH. She is a Professor at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health and the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto. She also holds positions as Adjunct Professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Western University and Adjunct Associate Professor in the School of Psychology at Deakin University in Australia.
Areas of Research
Dr. Wells examines aggression and victimization experiences among young people in drinking situations, including physical aggression between men and sexual harassment and aggression by men toward women. Applying a gender lens, her work focuses on young men’s normative attitudes and beliefs about aggression when drinking, masculine norms and peer dynamics and how these factors contribute to men’s involvement in alcohol-related aggression. She developed and validated a multidimensional inventory measuring young men’s attitudes and beliefs about aggression between men in drinking situations. She is currently extending this line of enquiry to the study of men’s normative attitudes and beliefs about sexual harassment and aggression by men toward women in drinking venues, with the long-term goal of developing appropriate interventions to reduce young women’s experiences of sexual victimization in drinking settings.
In close collaboration with Shkaabe Makwa at CAMH, Dr. Wells leads community-based research-to-action initiatives in First Nations communities, involving close collaboration with community members, Elders, leaders and health service providers alongside experts in Indigenous health. In collaboration with participating First Nations, the research team collects qualitative and quantitative data reflecting an Indigenous social determinants of health perspective, including in-depth interviews with people who have lived and living experiences with mental health challenges as well as community-wide surveys which are co-developed with the community. Participatory action research is then used to support the community in developing a wellness strategy, informed by rich local data. This research has led to numerous knowledge sharing activities, community reports, and publications, as well as meaningful impacts in participating communities.
Finally, with recent funding from a womenmind seed grant, Dr. Wells is collaborating with experts at Veterans Affairs Canada, the MacDonald Franklin Operational Stress Injury Research Centre, Mount Saint Vincent University, Royal Military College of Canada, Canadian Institute for Military and Veteran Health Research, and the Atlas Institute for Veterans and Families on a new project examining the mental health effects of encounters with children during international operations among Canadian women service members and Veterans.
Publications
View Dr. Wells' publications on PubMed.