The Virtual Qaggiq Project
Virtual Qaggiq Posters and Presentations
Danz, C., Singh, Y., Thomas, A., Zhang, X., Clarke, A., Kalluk, L., Temela, L., Qaunaq, R., Qumuatuq, M. & Bohr, Y. (Accepted). Celebrating the role of language in an e-mental health intervention designed by Inuit youth: learning CBT in Inuktitut through Virtual Qaggiq. [Round Table]. Canadian Psychological Association 87th Annual National Convention, Montreal, QC.
Singh, Y., Danz, C., Clarke, A., Zhang, X., Thomas, A., McKenzie, S., Kalluk, L., Temela, L., Qaunaq, R., & Qumuatuq, M. (Accepted). Making Inuktitut Accessible: Using syllabics and roman orthography in a mental wellness serious game for Inuit youth. [Poster]. Canadian Psychological Association 87th Annual National Convention, Montreal, QC.
Danz, C., Singh, Y., Thomas, A., Lyall, E., Qatsiya, B., Qaunaq, R., Temela, L., Armour, L. & Bohr, Y. (2025, August 4-7). Virtual Qaggiq: The cultural adaptation and gamification of empirically supported mental health strategies in the first-ever Inuit mobile serious game. [Demonstration]. International Research Society for Internet Invention 13th Scientific Meeting, San Diego, CA.
Danz, C., Singh, Y., Thomas, A., Lyall, E., Qatsiya, B., Qaunaq, R., Temela, L., Armour, L. & Bohr, Y. (2025, August 4-7). C.O.P.E.R.S.: A Cognitive Behavioural gameplay framework to deliver content in a mental health serious game for Inuit Youth. [Poster]. International Research Society for Internet Invention 13th Scientific Meeting, San Diego, CA.
Singh, Y., Qaunaq, R., Thomas, A., Qatsiya, B., Armour, L., Bohr, Y. (2025, June 12-15). Developing a culturally specific mental wellness video game with and for Inuit youth: Learnings from the Virtual Qaggiq project. [Workshop]. Canadian Psychological Association 86th Annual National Convention, St. John’s, NL.
Singh, Y., Thomas, A., Qaunaq, R., Qatsiya, B., Armour, L., Bohr, Y. (2025, June 12-15). A Nunavummiut led process of co-development and psychometric evaluation of the Inuit-SPARX Wellness Questionnaire. [Poster Presentation]. Canadian Psychological Association 86th Annual National Convention, St. John’s, NL.
Singh, Y., Thomas, A., Qaunaq, R., Qumuatuq, M., Bohr, Y., Armour, L. (2025, March 28). A Community-driven Approach to Supporting Youth Mental Wellness in Nunavut: The I-SPARX and Virtual Qaggiq Projects. [Workshop]. International Meeting on Indigenous Child Health, Winnipeg, MB.
The I-SPARX Project
I-SPARX Publications
Padgett, J., Garvey, N., Abdelmaseh, M., Singh, A., Singh, Y., Thomas, A., Pewatooalook, T., Qatsiya, B., Qaunaq, R., McCague, H., Sidhu, J., & Bohr, Y. (2025). Co-developing and validating the I-sparx wellness questionnaire: A community-driven psychometric study with Inuit youth in Nunavut. International Journal of Indigenous Health, 21(1). https://doi.org/10.32799/ijih.v21i1.45548
Bohr, Y., Hankey, J., Thomas, A., Abdelmaseh, M., McCague, H., Barnhardt, J., Oskalns, M., Garvey, N., Singh, Y., Danz, C., Singoorie, C., Qaunaq, R., Oshoweektok, I., Lucassen, M., Merry, S., Shepherd, M., Bornstein, M., Ahmad, F., Shulman, S., and Weiss, J. (2024). A Nunavut community-directed Inuit youth mental wellness initiative: Making I-SPARX fly. International Journal of Circumpolar Health, 83(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/22423982.2024.2401210
Thomas, A. (2024). Exploring thriving of Inuit youth through an engagement lens: A strengths-based focus on factors related to Nunavummiut youth’s participation in a psycho-educational mental health project. [Master’s thesis, York University]. YorkSpace. https://yorkspace.library.yorku.ca/server/api/core/bitstreams/17d4af82-799a-4dbe-89df-6660924d4db2/content.
Oskalns, M. (2024). A two-eyed seeing approach to evaluating an e-intervention for Inuit youth using Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit [Masters Thesis, York University]. YorkSpace. https://hdl.handle.net/10315/41918
Barnhardt, J. (2023). A study on the effectiveness of I-Sparx for Nunavut youth: Can an e-intervention mental health tool in the form of a computer game improve emotion regulation? [Masters Thesis, York University]. YorkSpace.https://hdl.handle.net/10315/41306
Thomas, A., Bohr Y., Hankey, J., Oskalns, M., Barnhardt & Singoorie, C. (2022). How did Nunavummiut youth cope during the COVID-19 pandemic? A qualitative exploration of the resilience of Inuit youth leaders involved in the I-SPARX project. International Journal of Circumpolar Health, 81(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/22423982.2022.2043577
I-SPARX Posters and Presentations
Bohr, Y., Thomas, A., Armour, L., Abdelmaseh, M., Barnhardt, J., Singh, Y. & Qaunaq, R. (2024, November 17). Adapting a CBT-based video game for Inuit youth in Nunavut: Lessons learned from a community-directed mental wellness project in the Canadian North. [Presentation]. Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Therapies 58th Annual Convention, Philadelphia, PA.
Bohr, Y., Thomas, A., Armour, L., Abdelmaseh, M., Barnhardt, J., Garvey, N., Singh, Y., Lucassen, M., Oshoweetok, I., & Qaunaq, R. (2024, June 2-5). Supporting youth mental health in Arctic communities: Evaluating the usefulness of Inuit-SPARX (I- SPARX), a culturally adapted cognitive behavioural e-intervention. In Lucassen (chair), Around the world with SPARX: Lessons in digital therapy for adolescents [Symposium]. International Society for Research in Internet Intervention, (ISRII), Limerick, Ireland.
Bohr, Y., Barnhardt, J., Thomas, A., Garvey, N., Singh, Y. (2024, January 26). Supporting youth mental health in arctic communities: Assessing the usefulness of a culturally focused CBT e-intervention. The I-SPARX Nunavut initiative ᑐᙵᓱᒋᑦ [Invited presentation]. DIVERT Mental Health Canada, Toronto, ON.
Garvey, N., Oshoweektok, I., Bohr, Y., Abdelmaseh, M., Thomas, A., Singh, Y., & Barnhardt, J. (2023, October 25-26). Adapting a wellness outcome measure to reflect the preferences of Inuit youth in the evaluation of an e-tool based on Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (I-SPARX) [Poster presentation]. National Summit on Indigenous Mental Wellness, Ottawa, ON.
Kuhne, T., Qaunaq, R., Bohr, Y., Thomas, A., Garvey, N., Singh, Y., & Barnhardt, J. (2023, October 25-26). From SPARX to I-SPARX: A youth- and community-directed process of culturally-adapting an Inuit-specific Cognitive Behaviour Therapy-based computer game[Poster presentation]. National Summit on Indigenous Mental Wellness, Ottawa, ON.
Singh, Y., Hankey, J., Garvey, N., Bohr, Y., Abdelmaseh, M., & Barnhardt, J. (2023, April 28). Evaluating the potential of CBT-based gaming intervention to support mental wellness in Inuit youth [Poster presentation]. Let’s Talk about Youth Conference, Toronto, ON.
Hankey, J., Abdelmaseh, M., Thomas, A., Garvey, N., Singh, Y., Puric, E., Barnhardt, J., & Bohr, Y. (2022, November 22). Reflections on culture- and youth-informed knowledge mobilization in the I-SPARX project [Invited presentation]. The Dr. Eric Jackman Health Scholars Learning Forum, Toronto, ON.
SPARX Publications
Bohr, Y., Litwin, L., Hankey, J. R., McCague, H., Singoorie, C., Lucassen, M. F., Shepherd, M., & Barnhardt, J. (2023). Evaluating the Utility of a Psychoeducational Serious Game (SPARX) in Protecting Inuit Youth From Depression: Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR Serious Games, 11(1), e38493. https://doi.org/10.2196/38493
Litwin, L., Hankey, J., Lucassen, M., Shepherd, M., Singoorie, C. & Bohr, Y. (2022). Reflections on SPARX, a Self-Administered e-Intervention for Depression, for Inuit Youth in Nunavut. Journal of Rural Mental Health. https://doi.org/10.1037/rmh0000218
Bohr, Y., Litwin, L., Hankey, J., McCague, H., Singoorie, C., Lucassen, M., Shepherd, M., & Barnhardt, J. (2022). Evaluating the utility of a psychoeducational serious game in protecting Inuit youth from depression: A SPARX pilot modified randomized control study. Journal of Medical Internet Research (JMIR Serious Games). https://preprints.jmir.org/preprint/38493/accepted
Bohr, Y., Litwin, L., Flett, G., Rawana, J., G., Healy, G. & Dion, S. (2016). Making SPARX fly in Nunavut: Pilot testing an innovative computer-based intervention for reducing youth depression as a preamble to the development of a culturally specific, community led prevention program. Research report prepared for the Department of Health, Government of Nunavut.
COVID-R Project
COVID-R Posters and Presentations
Singh, Y., Garvey, N., Thomas, A., Bohr, Y., Qaunaq, R. (2024, April 19). The Path Forward: A Focus on Resources Needed to Optimize Post Pandemic Resilience for Nunavummiut. Let’s Talk About Youth Conference, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON.
Thomas, A., OskaIns, M., Garvey, N., Bohr, Y., & Singoorie, C. (2022, September 23). How did Nunavummiut youth cope during the COVID-19 pandemic? A qualitative exploration of the resilience of Inuit youth leaders involved in the I-SPARX project [Invited poster presentation]. The National Summit on Indigenous Mental Wellness, Toronto, ON.
Infant and Child Studies
Hamel, K., Abdelmaseh, M. & Bohr, Y. (in Press). An Exploration of Parenting Styles, Cultural Values and Infant Development in a Sample of Latin American Immigrants in Canada. Infant Mental Health Journal, 5(3). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42844-024-00130-7
Hamel, K., Bohr, Y., & Singh, Y. (2024). What works to promote resilience in the lives of street-involved boys in León, Nicaragua? A grounded theory model with implications for intervention. Adversity and Resilience Science. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42844-024-00130-7
Albaum, C.S., Vashi, N., Bohr, Y. & Weiss, J. (2022). A Systematic Review of Therapeutic Process Factors in Mental Health Treatment for Autistic Youth. Clin Child Fam Psychol Rev. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10567-022-00409-0
Roudbarani, F., Tablon, Modica P, Maddox BB, Bohr, Y., Weiss, JA. (2022). Clinician factors related to the delivery of psychotherapy for autistic youth and youth with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Autism. doi:1177/13623613221106400
Vashi, N., Bohr, Y. & Weiss, J. (under review). Associations Between Transdiagnostic Symptoms and Parent-Child Relationship Quality in Families of Children with Neurodevelopmental Disabilities. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology.
Cerezo, M. A., Abdelmaseh, M., Trenado, R. M., Pons-Salvador, G., & Bohr, Y. (2021). The temporal dimension in the understanding of maternal sensitivity in caregiver-infant interactions: The ‘Early Mother-Child Interaction Coding System’. Infant Behavior and Development, 63, 101563.
Bohr, Y., Bimm M, Bint Misbah K, et al. (2021). The Crying Clinic: Increasing accessibility to Infant Mental Health services for immigrant parents at risk for peripartum depression. Infant Mental Health Journal, 42, 140-146. https://doi.org/10.1002/imhj.21879
Bornstein, H., Bohr, Y. & Hamel, K. (2020). Immigration, Acculturation, and Parenting. In R. E. Tremblay, M. Boivin, & R. DeV Peters (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Early Childhood Development, Ottawa, Canada: Center of Excellence for Early Childhood Development, 2020.
Madigan, S., Eirich, R., Racine, N., Borland‐Kerr, C., Cooke, J. E., Devereux, C., Plamondon, A.R., Tarabulsy, G.M., Cyr, C., Haltigan, J.D., Bohr, Y., Bronfman, E. & Lyons‐Ruth, K. (2020). Feasibility of training service providers on the AMBIANCE-Brief measure for use in community settings. Infant Mental Health Journal, 2020; 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1002/imhj.21898
Ahmad, F., El Morr, C., Ritvo, P., Othman, N., Moineddin, R., & MVC Team. (2020). An Eight-Week, Web-Based Mindfulness Virtual Community Intervention for Students’ Mental Health: Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR mental health, 7(2), e15520.
El Morr C, Ritvo P, Ahmad F, Moineddin R, MVC Team (2020). Effectiveness of an 8-Week Web-Based Mindfulness Virtual Community Intervention for University Students on Symptoms of Stress, Anxiety, and Depression: Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR Mental Health 7(7). DOI: 2196/18595
Bornstein, M., Putnick, D., Bohr, Y., Abdelmaseh, M. & Lee, Y. (2020). Maternal Sensitivity and Language in Infancy Promote Child Core Language Skill in Preschool. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 51, 483-489.
Ahmad F, El Morr C, Ritvo P, Othman N, Moineddin R, MVC Team (2020). An Eight-Week, Web-Based Mindfulness Virtual Community Intervention for Students’ Mental Health: Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR Mental Health,7(2), DOI: 2196/15520
Mehra, V., Keethakumar, A., Bohr, Y., Abdullah, P. & Tamim, H. (2019). The Association between Alcohol, Marijuana, Illegal Drug Use and Current Use of E-cigarette Among Youth and Young Adults in Canada: Results from Canadian Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs Survey 2017. BMC Public Health 19(1). DOI: 10.1186/s12889-019-7546-y
Muir, N., Bohr, Y., Shepard, M., Warne, D & Healey, G. (2019). Aboriginal Parenting. The Handbook of Parenting, 3rd edition, NY: Routledge, Marc Bornstein, Editor.
Bohr, Y., Putnick, D. L., Lee, Y., & Bornstein, M. H. (2018). Evaluating Caregiver Sensitivity to Infants: Measures Matter. Infancy, 23(5), 730-747.
Bohr, Y., Dhayanandhan, B., Kanter, D., Holigrocki, R., Armour, L., & Baumgartner, E. (2018). Mapping the attributions of parents: a client-centered dynamic approach to assessing vulnerable caregivers and their young children. Person-Centered & Experiential Psychotherapies, 17(1), 54-69.
Bohr, Y. (2018). Social Justice. Entry for SAGE Encyclopedia of Lifespan Human Development. M. Bornstein, Editor. SAGE Publications, Thousand Oaks, CA.
Bohr, , Liu, C., Chen, S. & Wang, L. (2018). Satellite Babies: Costs and benefits of culturally driven parent-infant separations in North American immigrant families. In de Guzman, M.R.T., Brown, J. & Pope Edwards, C. (Editors). Parenting From Afar: The Reconfiguration of the Family Across Distance (pp. 304-320). Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.
Myers, K., Cummings, J. R., Zima, B., Oberleitner, R., Roth, D., Merry, S. M., Bohr, Y. & Stasiak, K. (2018). Advances in Asynchronous Telehealth Technologies to Improve Access and Quality of Mental Health Care for Children and Adolescents. Journal of Technology in Behavioral Science, 3(2), 87-106.
Liu, C.H., Chen, S.H., Bohr, Y., Wang, L., & Tronick, E. (2017). Exploring the assumptions of attachment theory across cultures: The practice of transnational separation among Chinese immigrant parents and children. Meaning and methods in the study and assessment of attachment. Contextualizing Attachment: The Cultural Nature of Attachment. In H. Keller and K.A. Bard (Eds). Strüngmann Forum Reports, vol. 22, J. Lupp, series editor (pp. 171-192) Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Smarandache, A., Kim, T. H., Bohr, Y., & Tamim, H. (2016). Predictors of a negative labour and birth experience based on a national survey of Canadian women. BMC pregnancy and childbirth, 16(1), 1.
Dhayanandhan, B., & Bohr, Y. (2016). The role of identity development in moderating stress and promoting dyadic sensitivity in adolescent mothers. Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science/Revue canadienne des sciences du comportement, 48(1), 39.
Hynie, , Umubyeyi, B., Gasanganwa, M.C., Bohr, Y., McGrath, S. & Umuziga, P. (2015). Community Resilience and Community Interventions for Post-Natal Depression: Reflecting on Maternal Mental Health in Rwanda. In Khanlou N & Pilkington B. (Editors). Women’s Mental Health: Resistance and Resilience in Community and Society. Advances in Mental Health and Addiction (Series Editor: Masood Zangeneh). New York: Springer.
Bohr, , Hynie, M. & Armour, L. (2015). Focusing on Resilience in Canadian Immigrant Mothers’ Mental Health. In Khanlou N & Pilkington B. (Editors). Women’s Mental Health: Resistance and Resilience in Community and Society. Advances in Mental Health and Addiction (Series Editor: Masood Zangeneh). 233-245. New York: Springer.
Dhayanandhan, , Bohr, Y. & Connolly, J., (2015). Developmental task attainment and child abuse potential in at-risk adolescent mothers. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 24 (7), 1987-1998.
Viecili, , Weiss, J. & Bohr, Y. (2015). Parenting Stress as a Correlate of CBT Responsiveness in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and Anxiety. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, DOI: 10.1177/1088357614547808.
Bohr, & BinNoon, N. (2014). Enhancing sensitivity in adolescent mothers: Does a standardized, popular parenting intervention work with teens? Child Care in Practice, 20 (3), 286-300. DOI: 10.1080/13575279.2014.905454
Muir, , & Bohr, Y. (2014). Raising Healthy Aboriginal Children: A Review on Aboriginal Parenting Values and Practices. First Peoples Child & Family Review, 9 (1), 66-79.
Connolly, , Heifetz, M., & Bohr, Y. (2012). Pregnancy and Motherhood Among Adolescent Girls in Child Protective Services: A Meta-Synthesis of Qualitative Research. Journal of Public Child Welfare, 6(5), 614-635.
Laghi , Baumgartner E., Riccio G., Bohr Y., Dhayanandhan B. (2012). The role of romantic involvement and social support in Italian adolescent mothers’ lives. Journal of Child and Family Studies. DOI: 10.1007/s10826-012-9669-y
Riccio, , Baumgartner, E., Bohr, Y., Kanter, D. & Laghi, F. (2012). Dual vulnerability of being both a teen and an immigrant parent: Illustrations from an Italian context. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health, 13(3):518–25.
Shulman, , Zlotnik, A., Shachar-Shapira, L., Connolly, J., & Bohr, Y. (2012). Adolescent daughters’ romantic competence: The role of divorce, quality of parenting, and maternal romantic history. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 41(5), 593-606.
Bohr, Y., & Whitfield, N. (2011). Transnational mothering in an era of globalization: Chinese Canadian immigrant mothers’ decision-making when separating from their infants. Journal of the Motherhood Initiative for Research and Community Involvement (Special Issue on Mothering and Migration: (Trans)nationalisms, Globalization and Displacement), 2(2), 162-175.
Bornstein, H., & Bohr, Y. (2011). Immigration, Acculturation, and Parenting. In R. E. Tremblay, M. Boivin, & R. DeV Peters (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Early Childhood Development, Ottawa, Canada: Center of Excellence for Early Childhood Development, 2011.
Al-Sahab, , Heifetz, M.,Tamim, H., Bohr, Y., Connolly, J. (2012). Prevalence and characteristics of teen motherhood in Canada. Journal of Maternal and Child Health, 16 (1), 2228-234. DOI10.1007/s10995-011-0750-8
Bohr, Y. (2010). Transnational infancy: a new context for attachment and the need for better models. Child Development Perspectives, 4(3), 189-196.
Bohr, , Halpert, B., Brightling, L., Chan, J., Ellenbogen, B., Lishak, V. (2010). How Effectively do Customized Evidence-Based Programs Improve Parent-Infant Interactions? An exploratory evaluation of Community-Based Parenting Training. Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology, 28(1), 55-68.
Holigrocki, , Crain, R., Bohr, Y., Young, K. & Bensman, H. (2009). Interventional use of the Parent–Child Interaction Assessment–II enactments: Modifying an abused mother's attributions to her son. Journal of Personality Assessment, 91(5), 397-408.
Bohr, Y. & Tse, C. (2009). Satellite Babies in Transnational Families: a Study of Parents’ Decision to Separate from Their Infants. Infant Mental Health Journal, 30 (3), 1– 22.
Bohr, Y., Dhayanandhan, B., Armour, L., Sockett di Marco, N., Holigrocki, R. & Baumgartner, E. (2008). Mapping parent-infant interactions: a brief cognitive approach to the prevention of relationship ruptures and infant maltreatment (the MAP method). IMPrint, The Bulletin of the Infant Mental Health Promotion Project, 49, 2-7. (invited article).
Bohr, Y. (2005). Infant Mental Health Programs: Experimenting with innovative models. Infant Mental Health Journal, 26(5), 407-422.
