Using the Science of Stress and Chronic Disease to Facilitate Reconciliation in Canadian University Students

The purpose of this study was to determine whether a stepwise reflection process that occurred over a 12-week period would result in attitudinal change and increased empathy regarding intergenerational trauma associated with the Indian Residential School System in a sample of Canadian health sciences undergraduate students. The study employed two forms of mixed methodologies: Two-eyed seeing and a quantitative and qualitative mixed methods approach. The results were based on the differences in reflection content at the beginning and end of a health sciences course, as well as the responses to six post-course questions. Twenty-one of 34 students agreed to participate (58.8%). The student reflections contained evidence of attitudinal change and increased empathy for Indigenous people affected by the Indian Residential School System. In conclusion, when attempting to implement reconciliation efforts, it may be important to consider both the mechanisms for fostering change as well as reducing barriers to empathy.