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The BroMatters Project is now complete!

In collaboration with the Movember Foundation, our research lab aims to find effective ways to prevent workplace depression among men. In a recent study, we brought together 4 panels of experts who rated the helpfulness and feasibility of strategies for mitigating workplace stressors among men. Panellist included academics, HR workers, occupational health professionals, executives and managers, and working men. With this research, we have identified specific solutions to help mitigate stress specific to men in the workplace and in everyday life!

The final deliverable of the BroMatters project, an e-resource to help men deal with stress and depression in the workplace, is now complete! The e-resource depicts the stories of 12 men and the stress that they experience at work and at home, and presents relevant strategies that they can use to help diminish their stress. 

Click here to view the e-resource, and make sure to watch the video for each story! For more information about the project, visit Bromatters.ca. 

The Risk Calculator is in The Ottawa Citizen!

Dr. Wang develops the first ever risk calculator that can be used to predict and prevent employee depression.

Click here to see the article. 

Meet the Research Team!

Visit the "Team" page to learn more about our research staff.

The BroMatters Research Lab is located at the Royal Ottawa Institute of Mental Health Research, proudly affiliated with the University of Ottawa.

Click here to watch the project video. 

Click Bromatters.ca to view website!

There are no health problems like major depression that can deprive people’s capability of enjoying life and of being happy. Major depression is prevalent in the general population and men are not immune from depression. Major depression can not only affect people’s health, but also job performance. However, men are socialized to be emotionally stoic and exemplify traditional masculine characteristics such as independence, self-reliance and dominance. They are concerned over the perceived negative judgments from family, friends and employers if they access treatment for depression. 

On November 19^th, 2014, Dr. Wang’s team was selected by The Movember Foundation’s Canadian Mental Health Initiative (http://ca.movember.com) for funding to raise the awareness about depression in men, and to identify effective, low cost and non-stigmatizing solutions that can reduce men’s risk of having depression. The Project is led by the University of Calgary in collaboration with 5 other Canadian universities and several NGOs including the Calgary Chamber of Commerce. 

There are currently 1120 men enrolled in our study from all over Canada. We finished conducting interviews for the last stage of the. We received positive feedback from our participants about the BroMatters website and many have found it very useful in managing their stress at work.

Please stay tuned for more frequent updates on our ongoing project and check out our updated staff & student page for updated contact information!

Please contact Molly at  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  to learn more!

Mental Health Problems in the Workplace

Mental health problems in workplaces are a significant public health and economic issue. Mental illness has significant impacts on workers’ health, personal and family life, and productivity. As such, Dr. Wang’s team is conducting epidemiological studies in the working populations to understand what triggers depression and anxiety in the workplace and the barriers for sustained return-to-work. Working with employers and human resources personnel, the team is also developing and testing intervention programs aiming at improving workers’ health and work environment.

Recent research by Dr. Wang’s team shows that female workers are two times more likely than male workers to develop a new episode of major depressive disorder (MDD) over one year. In men, high job strain increased the risk of MDD in those who worked 35-40 hours per week; job insecurity and family-work conflict were predictive of MDD. Women who worked 35-40 hours, who reported job insecurity, high effort-reward imbalance and work-family conflict were at higher risk of MDD. For detailed findings, please visit Publications.

Early Identification and Prevention of Major Depression in Male Workers

Depression is a condition that has the potential to profoundly impact workers’ health, relationships and productivity. Research has shown that depression can be triggered by work stress issues. Funded by Movember Foundation, we are inviting Canadian MALE employees to participate in a telephone interview regarding the workplace issues and challenges they often encounter, their views about existing help for men, and feasible ways to address work stress issues. This will enable researchers to develop an open access educational package and effective e-mental health solutions that men can access confidentially anytime they need to deal with work and stress related issues. Recruitment for this study is now closed.

Website for calculating the risk of having depression in the future

With the support from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Dr. JianLi Wang’s team developed sex-specific prediction algorithms for predicting new onset of major depression, using Canadian national data. The algorithms are used to calculate the probability of having a major depressive episode in the next 4 years, among people who do not currently have depression. So early intervention may step in before symptoms progress into full episode. It can also be used by administrators to describe baseline risk profile of populations. The development and validation are to be published in the Journal of Affective Disorders. To try the risk calculator, please visit: www.predictingdepression.com