Rebecca Purc-Stephenson, University of Alberta

Research

agriculture culture well-being resilience marginalized groups

Latest papers

An Evidence-Based Guide for Delivering Mental Healthcare Services in Farming Communities: A Qualitative Study of Providers' Perspectives.
International journal of environmental research and public health · 2024 · first author
Understanding the factors contributing to farmer suicide: a meta-synthesis of qualitative research.
Rural and remote health · 2023 · first author
How are the kids holding up? A systematic review and meta-analysis on the psychosocial impact of maternal breast cancer on children.
Cancer treatment reviews · 2016 · first author

All 4 publications

Latest funding

The Stories Farmers Tell: How Farmer Identities Shape Meaning, Inclusion, and Agricultural Well-Being
SSHRC · 2025 · Principal investigator
$417,204
Cultivating well-being: Investigating farmer identities and their relationship to help-seeking and mental health among Canadian farmers
SSHRC · 2024 · Principal investigator
$24,740
Obstacles and Opportunities: Being Physically Disabled and Managing Employment
SSHRC · 2014 · Principal investigator
$72,651

All 6 grants and awards

4 publications.

01

An Evidence-Based Guide for Delivering Mental Healthcare Services in Farming Communities: A Qualitative Study of Providers' Perspectives.

Purc-Stephenson R, Roy N, Chimaobi A, Hood D

International journal of environmental research and public health2024First author

DOI: 10.3390/ijerph21060791 PMID: 38929037

02

Understanding the factors contributing to farmer suicide: a meta-synthesis of qualitative research.

Purc-Stephenson R, Doctor J, Keehn JE

Rural and remote health2023First author

DOI: 10.22605/rrh8189 PMID: 37633833

03

How are the kids holding up? A systematic review and meta-analysis on the psychosocial impact of maternal breast cancer on children.

Purc-Stephenson R, Lyseng A

Cancer treatment reviews2016First author

DOI: 10.1016/j.ctrv.2016.07.005 PMID: 27497342

04

"A gift wrapped in barbed wire" positive and negative life changes after being diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease.

Purc-Stephenson R, Bowlby D, Qaqish ST

Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation2015First author

DOI: 10.1007/s11136-014-0843-0 PMID: 25359590

The Stories Farmers Tell: How Farmer Identities Shape Meaning, Inclusion, and Agricultural Well-Being

Principal investigatorSSHRC2025Insight Grants

Principal investigators: Purc-Stephenson, Rebecca J.

$417,204

Cultivating well-being: Investigating farmer identities and their relationship to help-seeking and mental health among Canadian farmers

Principal investigatorSSHRC2024Partnership Engage Grants

Principal investigators: Purc-Stephenson, Rebecca J.

Keywords: agriculture; culture; well-being; resilience; marginalized groups

$24,740

Obstacles and Opportunities: Being Physically Disabled and Managing Employment

Principal investigatorSSHRC2014Insight Development Grant

Principal investigators: Purc-Stephenson, Rebecca

Keywords: (1) physical disability; (2) employment; (3) labour market; (4) return to work; (5) meta-synthesis; (6) meta-ethnography

$72,651

CIHR Team in Traffic and Road Injury Prevention (TRIP) Program for Canadian Children

Co-investigatorNSERC2010Collaborative Health Research Projects

Principal investigators: Snowdon, Anne

$200,000

Perceived barriers and employment intentions among disabled persons in Canada

Principal investigatorSSHRC2010Standard Research Grants

Principal investigators: Purc-Stephenson, Rebecca J.

Keywords: employment; disability; theory of planned behavior; qualitative analysis

$11,543

Water Policy Reform and Mental Well-being Impact Assessment in Alberta

Co-investigatorCIHR2010Operating Grant: Population Health Intervention Research - LOI

Principal investigators: Hallstrom, Lars K

Keywords: Aging; Environmental Justice; Health Equity; Impact Assessment; Mental Health; Mental Well-Being; Social Determinants; Water Policy

From CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC funding decisions: CIHR since 2008, NSERC since 1991 and SSHRC since 1998, including their latest published competition results.

Write to this professor

A short, specific email works best. This draft uses one of their recent papers; replace the parts in brackets with your own details before sending.

Applying for

Paper to mentionMention their SSHRC grant from 2025

Subject: Prospective PhD student: agriculture Dear Professor Purc-Stephenson, My name is [your name], and I am a [your current degree or role] at [your institution]. I am applying for a PhD position starting in [term and year]. I read your paper "An Evidence-Based Guide for Delivering Mental Healthcare Services in Farming Communities: A Qualitative Study of Providers' Perspectives." (2024), and it connects closely to my own work on [your research topic]. [One or two sentences on what you did and what you learned.] I also saw your SSHRC-funded project "The Stories Farmers Tell: How Farmer Identities Shape Meaning, Inclusion, and Agricultural Well-Being" (2025), and I would be glad to contribute to work in that direction. Are you accepting new PhD students for [term and year]? I have attached my CV and transcripts, and I would be glad to talk at a time that suits you. Thank you for your time. Kind regards, [your name]