OPUS: Open Ulethbridge Scholarship

Open ULeth Scholarship (OPUS) is the University of Lethbridge's open access research repository. It contains a collection of materials related to research and teaching produced by the academic community.

Self-archiving your research in OPUS is one way to meet Open Access policies of granting agencies. It is important to retain your final, post-peer-reviewed drafts for submission to OPUS, as this is often the only version publishers will allow to be archived. Click here for information on the U of L Open Access Policy.

Check here for more information about OPUS.

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Recent Submissions

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Non-pharmacological intervention to reduce responsive behaviours in seniors with dementia at an assisted living facility in Calgary, Alberta
(Lethhbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Faculty of Health Sciences, 2025) Braimoh, Edith E.; University of Lethbridge. Faculty of Health Sciences; Lokanc-Diluzio, Wendi
Responsive behaviours such as agitation, aggression, and wandering among seniors with dementia remain a challenge for healthcare staff. While medications are commonly used, they carry risks, making non-pharmacological interventions (NPIs), such as music and physical exercise, safer, person-centred alternatives that enhance quality of life. Despite policy mandates and mandatory dementia education, a gap persists between theoretical knowledge and practical application in care settings. Standardizing education across academic and workplace programs, with emphasis on tailoring interventions to individual preferences and life history, is essential. To address this gap, a 30-minute education session was delivered to staff at Cogir Senior Living McKenzie Towne. The session connected theory to practice, and staff reported a deeper understanding of responsive behaviours and the role of NPIs in dementia care. Findings highlight the importance of ongoing, evidence-based, and standardized training to improve care quality and support the well-being of individuals living with dementia.
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Navigating informed consent: ethical challenges in addiction treatment
(Lethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Faculty of Education, 2025) Rasidescu, Michelle M.; University of Lethbridge. Faculty of Education; Luft, Toupey M.
This project explores issues related to informed consent processes in the context of addiction treatment. Substance use disorder presents unique ethical challenges for informed consent. While the topic of informed consent in psychotherapy has been addressed in academic literature, this project shows that there is limited information specific to informed consent in addiction settings, as well as a lack of guidance for same in Canadian codes of ethics. To establish the relevance of this issue, a fictional ethical dilemma is presented to illustrate how such concerns can arise in professional practice. This is followed by an in-depth analysis of the history of informed consent, the essential components of informed consent, and factors that influence the process. The project then provides a foundational overview of substance use disorder treatment facilities, the types of professionals who work in addiction treatment contexts, and different ways of conceptualizing addiction. Finally, the initial ethical dilemma is revisited, along with actionable suggestions for navigating informed consent in substance use disorder treatment. The aim of this project is to address gaps in the literature and ethical standards of practice on informed consent in addiction treatment settings and to provide practical guidance for supporting client autonomy through ethical, client-centred care.
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Factors predicting internet gaming disorder: the role of congruent communication
(Lethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Faculty of Health Sciences, 2025) Chen, Yulin; University of Lethbridge. Faculty of Health Sciences; Lee, Bonnie K.
Previous research has highlighted separate associations between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), family satisfaction, emotion regulation, psychological distress in relation to Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD). However, the role of communication was under-examined. Further, the specific pathways and interactions among relevant variables remain under-explored. This study aims to introduce congruent communication as a new variable and its role in internet gaming disorder and determine its relationship with other salient variables found in earlier studies correlated with IGD. This cross-sectional study recruited 179 Canadian emerging adults (ages 18–29) identified as at risk for IGD who were examined for ACEs, family satisfaction, psychological distress, emotion dysregulation, and congruent communication. Pearson correlation analyses revealed that higher ACE scores were significantly associated with greater emotion dysregulation, psychological distress, congruent communication, and lower family satisfaction. IGD severity (GAS-7) was positively correlated with emotion dysregulation and negatively associated with congruent communication and psychological well-being. Multiple regression analysis showed that the combined model of psychosocial predictors significantly accounted for variance in IGD severity, R² = .094, F (5, 173) = 3.575, p = .004. However, only congruent communication was a significant predictor of IGD severity, suggesting an interactive effect of variables and the importance of congruent communication in predicting IGD. These findings suggest that while ACEs and emotion dysregulation factors are significantly associated with IGD, their predictive power may operate in complex, overlapping ways with family dissatisfaction, psychological distress, and congruent communication. The result of this study indicates that congruent communication is a potentially significant variable for IGD in addiction counselling.
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Sulfur diimides and their tin(IV) complexes, and contributions to improved models for X-ray crystal structures
(Lethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Dept. of Chemistry and Biochemistry, 2025) Hill, Nathan D. D.; University of Lethbridge. Faculty of Arts and Science; Boeré, René T.; Dibble, Peter W.
Modernization of X-ray crystallographic structure model refinement using NoSpherA2 and an extensive investigation of the chemical and electrochemical properties of sulfur diimides (SDIs) and their tin(IV) chloride complexes are described. NoSpherA2, an X-ray model refinement tool recently integrated into the free-to-use Olex2 program, is shown by thorough comparative analysis to significantly outperform conventional Independent Atom Model (IAM) methods. Consistent improvements in hydrogen atom placement and non-H bond precisions demonstrate the benefits of incorporating NoSpherA2 into routine processing of crystallographic data. The synthesis of a systematic series of SDIs is presented alongside a comprehensive study of their fundamental properties, both on their own and as ligands in tin(IV) complexes. Their voltammetric behaviour is meticulously documented and suggests the SDIs are acting as redox-active ligands. This foundational work positions SDIs as promising candidates in this very active field of research, and provides warrant and clear direction for future endeavours therein.
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The factors associated with suicidality among Canadian youth: a cross-sectional secondary analysis
(Lethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Faculty of Health Sciences, 2025) Doctor, Jenessa; University of Lethbridge. Faculty of Health Sciences; Sanders, James
The focus of this thesis was to examine the association between vulnerable youth and suicidality. This was done by conducting a secondary analysis on youth aged 15 to 29. A secondary data analysis took place utilizing the Statistics Canada 2022 Mental Health and Access to Care Survey for two separate papers. In the first paper exposure to childhood maltreatment was examined as an exposure variable for the outcome suicidality among the age group 18 to 29. Results indicated that those exposed to childhood maltreatment were more likely to experience suicidality than those not exposed. Additionally, the odds of suicidality increased with the number of maltreatment types experienced, suggesting a potential dose-response relationship. This association showed evidence for being partially mediated by mental health conditions, specifically meeting diagnostic criteria for depression or anxiety. In the second paper, minority status was created as an exposure variable for the outcome suicidality by combining racialized minorities (including Indigenous groups), and sexual identity minorities for the age group 15 to 24. These results showed minorities were more likely to experience suicidality compared to non-minority youth. This association appeared to be partially mediated by childhood maltreatment, which consisted of experiencing any form of maltreatment in the past. Findings from both studies suggest that vulnerable youth are more likely to experience suicidality, placing them at an increased risk for negative health outcomes. This emphasizes the importance of reducing systemic inequalities and developing context specific interventions to support these groups of youth. Policy makers, governments, and the community should aim to use proactive measures for prevention rather than implementing more crisis interventions in the future.