Dr. Heidi Cramm PhD, OT Reg (Ont)
Dr. Heidi Cramm
Position(s)
Associate Professor
Contact Information
Louise D. Acton Building, Room 220
Internal telephone extension: 36094
External telephone: 613-533-6094

Education

PhD
MSc OT (Post-Professional)
MA
BScOT
BA (Hons)

Accepting MSc, PhD, and DSc students in the following areas of research:

  • Mental health, trauma, post-traumatic stress, operational stress, and resilience/y
  • Families, leaders, and organizations of military personnel, Veterans, and public safety personnel such as firefighters, police, communications officers, and paramedics

 

Please note--I am on sabbatical until July 1, 2022 but remain active in student supervision and research. Please use email to contact me.  

Current research projects (Principal Investigator)

  • Families matter: A partnership of partners to study, serve, and support the families of military, Veterans, and public safety personnel. 2021-2024. SSHRC. Principal Investigator.
  • HomeBase: Enhancing mental wellness in public safety personnel families. 2020-2023. CIHR Team Grant. Nominated Principal Applicant.
  • Expediting Research to Practice during COVID-19: Optimizing Family Well-Being of Emergency Responder Personnel. 2020-2021. SSHRC. Principal Investigator.
  • Military and Veteran Families affected by Suicidality: A Global Alliance Study. 2020-2021. The Centre of Excellence on PTSD and Other Related Mental Health Conditions. Principal Investigator.
    • Media: Suicide risk is higher not only for military, but also their families, new research shows. The Toronto Star. Dec 10, 2021. https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2021/12/10/suicide-risk-is-higher-not-only-for-military-but-also-their-families-new-research-shows.html

Current trainees

       Post Doctoral Fellows:

Dr. Denise DuBois is an applied occupational therapy/science researchers with a clinical background in child and adult mental health and disability. In both her clinical and academic work, she has enacted collaborative, family-centric approaches. Dr. DuBois earned her PhD in Rehabilitation Sciences with a Collaborative Specialization in Public Health Policy from the University of Toronto in 2020. Dr. DuBois is also a military spouse and sits on the Board of Directors for the Kingston Military Family Resource Centre. Email: denise.dubois@queensu.ca

Dr. Kamaldeep Gill is a post-doctoral fellow working with Dr. Heidi Cramm at Queen’s University, School of Rehabilitation Therapy. She recently completed her PhD at the University of British Columbia, focusing on neuroanatomical differences in children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) and investigating neuro-rehabilitation evidence for a best-practice intervention for children with DCD. She is also a registered occupational therapist, completing her Master of Science in Occupational Therapy in 2016 at the University of Alberta. Dr. Gill has clinical experience working with children, young adults, and families with mental health concerns and/or developmental disabilities. Dr. Gill will be lead on research related to the Surviving Spouses Program that Wounded Warriors Canada has developed. As a military spouse herself, this project holds great meaning and value to her. Email: kamaldeep.gill@queensu.ca

Nick is a post-doctoral fellow in the School of Rehabilitation Therapy and adjunct faculty member in the School of Kinesiology and Health Studies. His research focusses around on improving rehabilitation services for Canadian Armed Forces Veterans living with pain. His current projects include evaluating the experiences and outcomes of aquatic therapy for Canadian Armed Forces Veterans living with chronic pain. He is supported by a Mitacs Post-doctoral Fellowship with Industry Partner Hydrathletics and is supervised by Drs. Heidi Cramm and Jordan Miller. Email: njh1@queensu.ca

Dr. Janette Leroux (on leave).

       PhD Students:

Ashley WilliamsAshley completed her undergraduate degree at Memorial University in 2009 and her master’s degree in Occupational Therapy at Queen’s University in 2014. She is a registered occupational therapist with experience team-based primary care in Ontario. Ashley's research interests include military-to-civilian transition, team-based primary care, and military/Veteran family health.

 

Email: Williams.ashley@queensu.ca

Twitter: @AshleyCWms


Shannon HillShannon completed her undergraduate degree at Trent University in 2014, her Bachelor of Education degree at Queen's University in 2015 and her Master of Education degree at Queen's University in 2017. She has been certified teacher in Ontario since 2015 and is qualified in the Intermediate and Senior divisions. Shannon's current research is looking to better understand and support the school transitions of military-connected adolescents following a relocation.

 

Email: 11slh10@queensu.ca

Twitter: @Shannon_LD_Hill

Rachel Richmond has a background in Kinesiology and Community Health from Brock University, where she specialized in understanding the self-management behaviours of persons with chronic pain. This understanding of self-management behaviours led her to consider populations with risky and demanding professions such as public safety personnel. Her research interests lie in understanding the experiences of public safety personnel and their families. Email: 19rsr1@queensu.ca

Lauren RobertsLauren Roberts recently graduated with a Master's of Science in Rehabilitation Science with Dr. Cramm. Her research interests include veterans and their families and the effects of participation in sporting competitions.

 

Email: 19lsr@queensu.ca

       DSc Students:

Sara MacNaullSara completed her undergraduate degree at Bishop’s University in 2007 and her master’s degree in Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership at Carleton University in 2016. Sara’s research interests include inmate health and well-being and the experiences and impacts of incarceration on family members, including physical health, mental health, well-being, and stigma.

 

Email: 20sr17@queensu.ca

Shauna EisenShauna completed her undergraduate degree at McMaster University in 2010 in Life Sciences and Psychology and her masters degree in Occupational Therapy at Queen's University in 2013. She is currently a manager with the Canadian Mental Health Association and leads programming to enhance community engagement to support neighbourhood well-being. Shauna's research interests include community mental health and the role of citizenship and belonging in combating loneliness.

Michael MacDonald (on leave).

Associates

Select publications (*denotes trainees) last updated Dec 11 2021

  1. Shannon K, Cramm H, McDonnell A, Batorowicz B (2021). Leaders’ visions of rehabilitation services for children in Ontario’s schools: Collaboration between education and health sectors. Open Journal of Social Sciences. 11(9). DOI: 10.4236/jss.2021.911004
  2. Fikretoglu D, Sharp M-L, Adler AB, Bélanger S, Benassi H, Bennett C, Bryant R, Busuttil W, Cramm H, Fear NT, Greenberg N, Heber A, Hosseiny F, Hoge CW, Jetly R, McFarlane A, Morganstein J, Murphy D, O'Donnell M, Phelps A, Richardson DJ, Sadler N, Schnurr PP, Smith P, Ursano R, Hooff M, Wessely S, Forbes D, Pedlar D (2021). Pathways to mental health care in active military populations across the five-eyes nations: An integrated perspective. Clinical Psychology Review,
  3. St Cyr K, Aiken AB, Cramm H, Whitehead M, Kurdyak P, Mahar A L. (2021). Sex-specific differences in physical health and health services use among Canadian Veterans: a retrospective cohort study using healthcare administrative data. BMJ Military Health. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjmilitary-2021-001915
  4. Leroux J, Richmond R, Kirkland H, Fitzpatrick S, Norris D, Mahar A, MacDermid J, Dekel R, Cramm H (2021). Experiences of families of public safety personnel: a systematic review protocol of qualitative evidence. Systematic Reviews. 10:258 https://doi.org/10.1186/s13643-021-01807-1
  5. Bryant RA, Greenberg N, Forbes D, 5 Eyes Mental Health Research and Innovation Collaborative in military and veteran mental health group (2021). The effect of the withdrawal from Afghanistan on military personnel's mental health. Lancet Psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(21)00369-2.
  6. Mahar AL, Cramm H, Garces I, Aiken AB, Chen S, Ouellette B, Manser L, Kurdyak P. (In press) Comparing the risk of outpatient mental health diagnoses between children and youth in military families and in the general population: A retrospective cohort study. Journal of Military, Veteran, & Family Health.
  7. Spinks N, Cramm H. (2021). Military and Veteran Family Research: Setting the stage for the next chapter. Journal of Military, Veteran & Family Health.
  8. Cramm H, Norris D, Fear NT, Dekel R (2021). Military families and military-to-civilian transition: the current state of play. BMJ Military Health. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjmilitary-2021-001815.
  9. Cramm H, Dekel R, Norris D, Fear NT (2021). Travelling towards transition—considerations for the military family. Journal of Military & Veteran Health. 29(4), pp. 77-79.
  10. Cramm H, Murphy S, Godfrey C, Dekel R, McKeown S (2021). The experience of children exposed to parental PTSD growing up in military and Veteran families: a systematic review of qualitative evidence. JBI Database of Systematic Reviews and Implementation Reports. doi: 10.11124/JBIES-20-00229
  11. Cramm H, Mahar AL, Tam-Seto L, Rowan-Legg A (2021). Caring for children and youth from military families. Paediatrics & Child Health. https://doi.org/10.1093/pch/pxab053
  12. Mahar AL, Cramm H, Aiken AB, Zhang L, Chen S, Ouellette B, Manser L, Kurdyak P (2021). A retrospective cohort study comparing the use of provincially funded mental health services between female military spouses living in Ontario and the general population. Military Behavioral Health. https://doi.org/10.1080/21635781.2021.1927917.
  13. Mahar AL, Reppas-Rindlisbacher C, Edgelow M, Siddhpuria S, Hallet J, Rochon PA, Cramm H (2021). Concerns and coping strategies of older adult Veterans in Canada at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Military, Veteran, and Family Health.
  14. Wintle J, Krupa T, DeLuca C, Cramm H (2021). Toward a Conceptual Framework for Occupational Therapist-Teacher Collaborations. Journal of Occupational Therapy, Schools, & Early Intervention DOI 10.1080/19411243.2021.1934238
  15. Mahar AL, Reppas-Rindlisbacher C, Edgelow M, Siddhpuria S, Hallet J, Rochon PA, Cramm H (2021). COVID-19 and the mental health of Canadian Armed Forces Veterans: a cross-sectional survey. Military Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1093/milmed/usab157.
  16. Schwartz K, Norris D, Tam-Seto L, Mahar AL, Cramm H (2021). Families Members of Veterans with Mental Health Problems Seeking, Finding, and Accessing Informal and Formal Supports During Military-to-Civilian Transition. Journal of Military, Veteran, & Family Health, 7(1), pp. 13–20. https://doi.org/10.3138/jmvfh-2019-0023.
  17. Cramm H, Smith G, Samdup D, Williams A, Ruhland L. (2020). Charting a course to support military families navigating service systems for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A qualitative study. Journal of Military, Veteran, and Family Health. https://doi.org/10.3138/jmvfh-2018-0047.
  18. Garces I, Cramm H, Chen S, Aiken AB, Oulette B, Manser L, Kurdyak P, Mahar AL (2020). Intra-Provincial Variation in Publicly Funded Mental Health and Addictions Service Use Among Canadian Armed Forces Families Posted Across Ontario. Canadian Studies in Population Journal. 1-13. 47, pages 27–39(2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42650-020-00032-w.
  19. Carleton RN, Afifi TO, Taillieu T, Turner S, Mason JE, Ricciardelli R, Vaughan A, Anderson GS, Krakauer R, Donnelly EA, McCreary DR, Camp RD II, Groll D, Cramm H, MacPhee RS, Griffiths CT (2020). Assessing the Relative Impact of Diverse Stressors Among Public Safety Personnel in Canada. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(4), 1234. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17041234.
  20. Groll D, Ricciardelli R, Carleton RN, Anderson G, MacPhee R, Cramm H (2019). A cross-sectional study of the relationship between previous military experience and mental health of currently serving Public Safety Personnel in Canada. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1177/0706743719895341.
  21. Tam-Seto L, Krupa T, Stuart H, Lingley-Pottie P, Aiken AB, Cramm H (2019). The validation of the Militaryand Veteran Family Cultural Competency Model (MVF-CCM). Military Behavioral Health. https://doi.org/10.1080/21635781.2019.1689875.
  22. Tam-Seto L, Krupa T, Lingley-Pottie T, Stuart H, Aiken AB, Cramm H (2019). Stepping up to the plate: Identifying military family cultural competencies: experiences of military and Veteran families in Canadian health care. Journal of Military, Veteran and Family Health, 5(2), pp. 136-146. https://doi.org/10.3138/jmvfh.2018-0049.
  23. Cramm H, Norris D, Schwartz, K, Tam-Seto L, Williams A, Mahar AL (2019). Impact of Canadian Armed Forces Veterans’ Mental Health Problems on the Family During the Military to Civilian Transition. Military Behavioral Health. https://doi.org/10.1080/21635781.2019.1644260
  24. Mahar AL, Aiken AB, Whitehead M, Tien H, Cramm H, Fear N, Kurdyak P (2019). Suicide in Canadian veterans: a retrospective cohort study linking routinely collected healthcare data. BMJ Open. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2018-027343.
  25. Ritchie K, Aiken AB, Donnelly C, Goldie K, Cramm H (2019). Posttraumatic stress disorder and dementia in veterans: A scoping review. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing. https://doi.org/10.1111/inm.12601.
  26. Cramm H, McColl MA, Aiken AB, Williams A (2019). Mental health and children growing up in military families: A scoping review. Journal of Child & Family Studies, 1-11. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2016.70S1-RP301A.
  27. Mahar AL, Cramm H, Whitehead M, Aiken AB, Tien H, Pedlar D, Fear N, Kurdyak P (2019). Self-harm in Ontario Veterans: a retrospective cohort study. International Review of Psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1080/09540261.2019.1580685.
  28. Cramm H, Smith G, Samdup D, Williams A, Ruhland L (2019). Navigating Healthcare Systems for Military-connected Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Qualitative Study of Military Families Experiencing Mandatory Relocation. Paediatrics & Child Health. https://doi.org/10.1093/pch/pxy179.
  29. Ricciardelli R, Groll D, Czarnuch S, Carleton RN, Cramm H (2019). Behind the frontlines: exploring the mental health and help-seeking behaviours of public safety personnel who work to support frontline operations. The Annual Review of Interdisciplinary Justice Research, Volume 8 (2019), 315-348. ISSN 1925-2420.
  30. MacDermid JC, Nazari G, Rashid C, Sinden K, Carleton RN, Cramm H (2019). Two-month point prevalence of exposure to critical incidents in firefighters in a single fire service. Work, Volume 62, no. 3 (2019), 477-483.https://doi.org/10.3233/wor-192882.
  31. Carleton RN, Afifi TO, Turner S, Taillieu T, Vaughan AD, Anderson GS, Ricciardelli R, MacPhee RS, Cramm H, Czarnuch S, Hozempa K, Camp RDII (2019). Mental Health Training, Attitudes Towards Support, and Screening Positive for Mental Disorders. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy. https://doi.org/10.1080/16506073.2019.1575900.
  32. Cramm H, Mahar AL, MacLean C, Birtwhistle R (2019). What family physicians need to know about Canadian military families. Canadian Family Physician, 65(1), 9-11. ISSN 0008-350X
  33. Carleton RN, Afifi TO, Taillieu T, Turner S, Krakauer R, Anderson GS, MacPhee RS, Ricciardelli R, Cramm H, Groll D, McCreary D (2019). Exposures to Potentially Traumatic Events Among Public Safety Personnel in Canada. Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science, 51(1), 37-52. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/cbs0000115.
  34. Tam-Seto L, Krupa T, Lingley-Pottie T, Stuart H, Aiken AB, Cramm H (2018). Identifying military family cultural competencies: experiences of military and Veteran families in Canadian health care. Journal of Military, Veteran and Family Health, 4(2), 48-60. https://doi.org/10.3138/jmvfh.2017-0030.
  35. Ricciardelli R, Carleton RN, Mooney TE, Cramm H (2018). “Playing the system”: Structural factors potentiating mental health stigma, challenging awareness, and creating barriers to care for Canadian Public Safety Personnel. Health: an interdisciplinary journal for the social study of health, illness and medicine. https://doi.org/10.1177/1363459318800167
  36. Mahar AL, Aiken AB, Cramm H, Whitehead M, Groome P, Kurdyak P (2018). Access to healthcare and medical health services use for Canadian military families posted to Ontario: a retrospective cohort study using administrative healthcare data. Journal of Military, Veteran, and Family Health, 4(2), 61-70. https://doi.org/10.3138/jmvfh.2018-0014.
  37. Ostler K, Norris D, Cramm H (2018). Geography mobility and special education services: Understanding the experiences of Canadian military families. Journal of Military, Veteran, & Family Health. 4(2), pp. 71–80. https://doi.org/10.3138/jmvfh.2017-0010.
  38. Cramm H, Norris D, Venedam S, Tam-Seto L (2018). Towards a Model of Military Family Resiliency: A narrative review. Journal of Family Theory & Review, Volume 10, Issue 3. https://doi.org/10.1111/jftr.12284.
  39. Ricciardelli R, Carleton RN, Groll D, Cramm H (2018). Qualitatively unpacking Canadian public safety personnel experiences of trauma and their well-being. Canadian Journal of Criminology and Criminal Justice. Volume 60 Issue 4, 566-577. https://doi.org/10.3138/cjccj.2017-0053.r2 -0053.r2
  40. Cramm H, Tam-Seto L (2018). School participation and children in military families: A scoping review. Early Intervention, Schools, & Occupational Therapy. Volume 11, 2018 - Issue 3, 302-317. https://doi.org/10.1080/19411243.2018.1445060.
  41. Carleton RN, Afifi TO, Turner S, Tailieu T, Duranceau S, LeBouthillier DM, Sareen J, Ricciardelli R, MacPhee RS, Groll D, Hozempa K, Brunet A, Weekes JR, Griffith CT, Abrams K, Jones NA, Beshai S, Cramm H, Dobson KS, Hatcher S, Keane TM, Stewart SH, Asmundson GJG (2018). Suicidal ideation, plans, and attempts among public safety personnel in Canada. Canadian Psychology. 59(3), 220-231. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/cap0000136.
  42. Cramm H, Breimer J, Lee L, Burch J, Ashford V, Schaub M (2017). Best practices for writing effective lay summaries. Journal of Military, Veteran, and Family Health, 3(1), 7-20. https://doi.org/10.3138/jmvfh.3.1.004.
  43. Carleton RN, Afifi TO, Tailieu T, Turner S, Duranceau S, LeBouthillier DM, Hozempa K, Sareen J, Ricciardelli R, MacPhee RS, Groll D, Brunet A, Weekes JR, Griffith CT, Abrams KJ, Jones NA, Beshai S, Cramm H, Dobson KS, Hatcher S, Keane TM, Stewart SH, Asmundson GJG (2017). Mental disorder symptoms among Canadian first responder and other public safety personnel. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry. 63(1), 54-64. https://doi.org/10.1177/0706743717723825.
  44. Cote P, Nizzero A, Cramm H (2017). Occupational disruption: A scoping review. Journal of Occupational Science. Volume 24, 2017 - Issue 21-14. https://doi.org/10.1080/14427591.2017.1306791.
  45. Cramm H, Norris D, Tam-Seto L, Eichler M, Smith-Evans K (2015). Making military families in Canada a research priority. Journal of Military, Veteran, and Family Health Research, 1(2), 8-12. https://doi.org/10.3138/jmvfh.328