Shay-Lee Bolton, professor of psychiatry at the Max Rady College of Medicine. Supplied by Shay-Lee Bolton

For Shay-Lee Bolton, mental health research is not just about generating data or testing theories. It is about building systems that work for people in their everyday lives.
Bolton is an associate professor in the U of M’s department of psychiatry. She studies mental health through both public health and clinical lenses. She said her work uses “data to understand who is at risk, what factors shape mental health and how we can intervene early” to make a meaningful difference.
Bolton’s research sits at the intersection of psychiatric epidemiology and intervention and implementation science. At a broad level, she uses population-level data to understand patterns of mental health and wellness. At the same time, she is deeply involved in designing and evaluating programs that can be delivered at scale. Much of her work focuses on brief mental health interventions that are practical, low-barrier and able to reach large groups of people.
Two major programs anchor her research. The first is Cognitive Behaviour Therapy with Mindfulness (CBTm), a free, class-based program available to Manitobans. The program teaches practical skills to manage stress, anxiety and low mood, while also building resilience and healthy habits. The second is the Public Safety Mental Health Service, which provides prevention and intervention supports for public safety personnel across the province, including police officers, firefighters, paramedics, corrections staff and dispatch workers. Research and community engagement are built directly into both programs, allowing Bolton and her team to continually adapt their work based on participant feedback.
Bolton’s interest in mental health research grew from both professional and personal experiences. As a teenager, she lived with a family member who struggled with mental illness. She recalled not fully understanding what her family member was experiencing or how to help as they navigated a system that was fragmented. That experience stayed with her.
“From an epidemiology perspective, mental health issues create huge impacts, from day-to-day functioning, to relationships, to healthcare costs, to lost productive years,” she added. “Yet historically, mental health hasn’t received the focus it deserves, and stigma is still a major barrier.”
What continues to motivate her, she said, is seeing the real-world impact of her work. One recent project Bolton is particularly proud of is the development of a Cross-Cultural CBTm program for newcomers to Canada. The program was created by a team with deep experience working alongside diverse newcomer communities. “They adapted our CBTm content to make the material approachable, culturally relevant and meaningful for people who may not have a western view of mental health,” she explained.
The program is currently being evaluated by two students. They are studying whether the program resonates with newcomer students and how it can be further improved. “The early response has been incredibly positive,” Bolton added.
Bolton situates her work within a broader shift in mental health care. There is increasing attention on low intensity supports, including digital and hybrid models, that can improve access for people who live far from specialized services. She believes demonstrating the effectiveness of scalable programs like CBTm could help reduce waitlists, provide early support before symptoms escalate and teach preventative skills long before someone reaches a crisis point. She described this approach as offering mental health “swimming lessons,” giving people tools before they are overwhelmed.
Ultimately, Bolton hoped her work would expand access to cognitive behavioural therapy, which she described as the most evidence-based treatment and prevention tool available for mental health concerns. She aims to demonstrate that large-group, low-barrier programs can be both effective and empowering, helping people build skills they can use throughout their lives.
The Cross-Cultural CBTm program will be offered in January and February in both virtual and in-person formats, allowing participants to choose what feels most comfortable. The six-session program encourages participants to bring a support person if they wish. Anyone interested can register at www.cbtm.ca under the “Cross-Cultural” tab.