School of Nursing News

A wonderful reflection of the work of Dr. Margot Latimer and members of her research team on indigenous youth and pain has moved our understanding beyond physical pain.

Aboriginal Children's Hurt and Healing Initiative:

The work of Dr. Margot Latimer, Clinician Scientist, IWK Health Science Centre, and other members of this unique innovative research initiative originally sought to explore how aboriginal children experienced pain through art. What emerged highlights far more than physical pain. Images of loneliness, hopelessness, bullying, sadness and darkness suggest that aboriginal children are experiencing significant emotional pain. Dr. Latimer suggests that what they were seeing was far more complex than typical depression and/or anxiety. According to John Sylliboy (community research coordinator with Hurt and Healing Initiative), the drawings show that Aboriginal children do not differentiate between physical and emotional pain – rather pain is just pain. This finding is critical for health professionals working with this patient population. There is a need to look beyond assessing for physical pain.  

Dalhousie University, School of Nursing's Dr. Margot Latimer's CBC news article, November 20th, 2016.