Valerie Michaelson, DMin

Assistant Professor, Health Sciences

valerie michaelson

Office: STH 306
905 688 5550 x3787
vmichaelson@brocku.ca

In my research, I focus on the health and well-being of children and adolescents, and the social determinants that shape their health trajectories. My current projects focus on child violence, spirituality, gender inequities in mental health, and decolonization and reconciliation.

Primarily a qualitative researcher, I typically works in mixed methods paradigms. I take a rights approach to research with young people, and as per Article 12 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, I recognize children as competent, active agents in interpreting their own worlds. In keeping with this, I have participatory strands, in which young people are positioned as co-researchers, in most of my projects.

  • Decolonization and reconciliation
  • Gender and mental health
  • Religious, cultural and spiritual dimensions of health
  • Community-based participatory research
  • Youth engagement
  • Qualitative research methods

Michaelson, V., Janzen, I., King, N., &. Pickett, W. Social media use and connections to nature: a mixed methods study. Canadian Journal of Public Health. January 2020.

Michaelson, V., Swinton, J., King, N. & Pickett, W. Children, disability and religious involvement in Canada. Journal of Religion and Disability. Accepted, January 2020.

Hatala, A., Ahmed, R., Pickett, W., & Michaelson, V. Spiritual health and the prevention of risk-taking behaviors among Saskatchewan adolescents. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, in press.

Michaelson, V. King, N., Inchley, J., Brookes, F., & Pickett, W. Domains of spirituality and their associations with positive mental health: a study of adolescents in Canada, England and Scotland. Preventive Medicine. 125, 2019, 12-19.

Dube, A., Bartels, S., Michael, S. & Michaelson, V. Syrian girls in Lebanon, forced migration and resilience: a sensemaker analysis. Journal of International Humanitarian Action (2019) 4:8 p 2-15. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41018-019-0056-9

Favotto, L., Michaelson, V., & Davison, C. (2019). Perceptions of the influence of computer-mediated communication on the health and well-being of early adolescents. In press.

Phillips, S., King, N., Michaelson, V., Pickett, W. (2018). Sex, drugs, risk and resilience: analysis of data from the Canadian Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study.European Journal of Public Health 2018 Sep 4. doi: 10.1093/eurpub/cky169. [Epub ahead of print]

Elgar F, Donnelly P, Michaelson V, Gariépy G, Riehm KE, Walsh S, Pickett W. (2018). Corporal punishment bans and physical fighting in adolescents in 88 countries and regions: an ecological study. British Medical Journal (BMJ) Open. 2018; Oct 16;8(9):e021616

Michaelson, V., Donnelly, P., Morrow, W., Craig, W., & Pickett, W. (2018). Violence, Adolescence, and Canadian Religious Communities: A Quantitative Study.Journal of Interpersonal Violence. 2018 May 1:886260518775160. doi: 10.1177/0886260518775160. [Epub ahead of print]

Michaelson, V., Pickett, W., & Davison, C. (2018). Holism and child health. Health Promotion International. 2018 Jun 11. doi: 10.1093/heapro/day039. [Epub ahead of print]

Piccininni, C., Michaelson, V., Janssen, I., Pickett, W. (2018). The role of outdoor play and nature connectedness in the prevalence of psychosomatic symptoms among Canadian adolescents. Preventive Medicine, pii: S0091-7435(18)30131-2. doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2018.04.020.

Brooks, F., Michaelson, V., King, N., Inchley, J., & Pickett, W. (2018). Spirituality as a protective health asset for young people: an international comparative analysis.International Journal of Public Health, 2018 Apr;63(3):387-395. doi: 10.1007/s00038-017-1070-6. Epub 2018 Jan 13.

Ng, K., Pickett, W., Michaelson, V., Freeman, J. (2018). Physical activity, spiritual health and disability among children: a quantitative study. Journal of Religion and Disability,

Favotto, L., Michaelson, V., & Davison, C. (2017). Perceptions of the influence of computer-mediated communication on the health and well-being of early adolescents.International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-being12(1), 1335575.

Funnell-Kononuk, E., Young, P., & Michaelson, V. (2017). Adolescent perceptions and experiences of the Hijab: a qualitative Canadian study. Journal of Childhood and Religion, 7.

Michaelson, V., Pickett, W., Vandemeer, E., Taylor, B., & Davison, C. (2016). A mixed methods study of Canadian adolescents’ perceptions of health.International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-being11.

Michaelson, V., Trothen, T., Ascough, H., & Pickett, W. (2016). Canadian children and spiritual health: foundations for spiritual care. Journal of Pastoral Care & Counseling70(4), 244-256. DOI: 10.1177/1542305016680630.

Michaelson, V., Freeman, J., King, N., Ascough, H., Davison, C., Trothen, T., & Pickett, W. (2016). Inequalities in the spiritual health of young Canadians: a national, cross-sectional study. BMC Public Health16(1), 1200.

Michaelson, V., Pickett, W., King, N., & Davison, C. (2016). Testing the theory of holism: A study of family systems and adolescent health. Preventive Medicine Reports4, 313-319.

Michaelson, V., Trothen, T. J., Davison, C., & Pickett, W. (2016). Bodies and behaviours: a study of body image in adolescent girls and Canadian churches. Practical Theology9(4), 314-330. (In 2018, this manuscript was highlighted by the editors of Practical Theology as one of the top ten most significant manuscripts they had published in their first 10 years as a journal).

Michaelson, V., Brooks, F., Jirásek, I., Inchley, J., Whitehead, R., King, N., & Pickett, W. (2016). Developmental patterns of adolescent spiritual health in six countries. Social Science and Medicine -Population Health2, 294-303.

Michaelson, V., McKerron, M., Davison, C. Forming ideas about health: a qualitative study of Ontario adolescents. (2015). International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-being 10: 27506. DOI:10.3402/qhw.v10.27506.

Davison, C., Michaelson, V., & Pickett, W. (2015). It still takes a village: an epidemiological study of the role of social supports in understanding unexpected health states in young people. BMC Public Health15(1), 295. DOI 10.1186/s12889-015-1636-2.

Pickett, W., King, N., Trask, C., Michaelson, V., Marlenga, B,L., Hagel. L., Dosman, J.A. (2015). Factors related to self-perceived health in rural men and women. J Agromedicine 20(2), 178-87. DOI: 10.1080/1059924X.2015.1010063.

Pickett, W., Michaelson, V., & Davison, C. (2015). Beyond nutrition: hunger and its impact on the health of young Canadians. International Journal of Public Health60(5), 527-538. 527-538.DOI 10.1007/s00038-015-0673-z.

  • Health in Canadian Society
  • Health and Diversity
  • Decolonization, Reconciliation and Indigenous Health (MPH)