What is FORBOW?
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FORBOW stands for Families Overcoming Risks and Building Opportunities for Wellbeing. It is a research program looking at early detection and early intervention in mental illness for youth and young adults. This study is a partnership with Nova Scotia Health, IWK and Dalhousie University with a satellite location in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia. Understanding that mental illness often runs in families, to date over 300 families from across Nova Scotia have participated in this study. Some families have a history of mental illness while other families do not have a history of mental illness. The goal of the study is to test whether early interventions – in childhood, teen years and early adulthood – can interrupt the cycle of mental illness.
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Who is FORBOW for?

The FORBOW program is open to any Nova Scotian families with children aged 9-24, especially those who have a family history of mental illness.

What is being part of the FORBOW program like?
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​When you come to see us, a member of the FORBOW team will talk with you and ask a number of questions about your experiences, feelings, thoughts and needs. You may also be asked to do some puzzles and problem solving. We ask families to voluntarily meet with us once per year and these appointments may take 3-5 hours, including breaks. We hope to keep in contact with you over the years to come.
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What are the benefits of joining the FORBOW program?
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​The project is aimed at early detection and intervention of mental illness and supporting positive mental health in youth. The overall goal of the study is to reduce the impact of severe mental illness.

For parents with mental illness or a history of mental illness in their family, involvement in the program can offer some peace of mind that there is a periodic and ongoing focus on the mental health of their children as they grow up. For young people it is an opportunity to participate in a research study that may benefit themselves and others.

There are a number of different intervention studies happening within the FORBOW program. If FORBOW participants begin to show signs they may benefit from participating in an intervention study, they may be eligible to join these programs. For example, should FORBOW participants begin to develop episodes of depression, they may be eligible to participate in our TIDE program, also operating out of the New Glasgow office.
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What is TIDE?
TIDE stands for Treatment Interrupts Depression Early. ​The TIDE program is an offshoot of FORBOW focused on initial treatment plans for youth age 12-25 diagnosed with depression or experiencing their first depressive episode. Participants can enter directly into the TIDE program or come from the FORBOW program if they develop symptoms of depression.

Meet the FORBOW Pictou County Team:

Dr. Rudolf Uher - Principle Investigator
A psychiatrist with Nova Scotia Health, Canadian Research Chair in Early Intervention in Psychiatry and Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Dalhousie University. Dr. Uher has been Primary Investigator in the FORBOW study since it began and one of the physicians currently involved in the program.

​"I am a psychiatrist and a researcher. I believe that we should do research that really matters and improves lives.

I came to Nova Scotia to take the opportunity offered by the Canada Research Chair Program. In my work here, I am studying how to help young people develop mental well-being and avoid mental illness. This work builds on my earlier training in medicine and psychiatry at the Maudsley Hospital in London, UK, and in Prague, in the Czech Republic. In my earlier training, I noticed that adults with mental illness often experience only limited improvement, even with the best available treatment. I often wondered if we could make a bigger difference by working with people when they are younger, when the brain and body are developing.

With my colleagues in Halifax, London, Boston, and elsewhere, I am studying whether we can predict what treatment works best for whom. I am grateful that as a researcher I can help advance knowledge and as a clinician I can put in into practice. When I am not working, I enjoy hiking, observing wildlife, and taking photographs." - Dr. Uher
Alisha Griffin - Research Coordinator
Alisha is the Research Coordinator for the FORBOW project and based out of the New Glasgow office. Alisha’s role includes intake of potential FORBOW participants and follow up with FORBOW participants throughout the duration of their participation in the program.
nicole stinson - Research Coordinator
Nicole is the Research Coordinator for the TIDE project, an offshoot of FORBOW aiming to establish indicators for differential success in initial treatment plans for youth diagnosed with depression. Nicole's role includes intake of potential TIDE participants and follow up with TIDE participants throughout the duration of their participation in the program.
Jill Cumby - Research Manager
Jill is the research manager for the FORBOW project, the program’s main point of contact for families and she is also a Parent Assessor.

    Get involved in FORBOW or learn more about the program:

    You can self-refer to the FORBOW program. A doctor's referral is not required. Once submitted, you can expect to receive a response to your inquiry within 1-3 business days.
​690 East River Road
​New Glasgow, NS

​(902) 752-7600 ext 3714