Professor
BHEc (MSVU), MSc (Alberta), PhD (Dalhousie)
Email: Deborah.Norris@msvu.ca
Phone: (902) 457-6376
Office: Evaristus 325
Affiliated Member of the Centre for Social Innovation and Community Engagement in Miliary Affairs (www.msvu.ca/sicema)
Biography
I received a Bachelor of Home Economics in Family Studies from Mount Saint Vincent University, a Master in Science in Family Life Education from the University of Alberta, and a PhD in Educational Foundations from Dalhousie University.
Research and professional activity with military and Veteran families has been my main focus over the course of my career. Informed by ecological theory and critical theory, I am dedicated to advancing knowledge about the cycle of deployment, military-to-civilian-transition, the impacts of operational stress injuries, adult children of Canadian Armed Forces Veterans, intimate partner violence in Veteran families, and military and Veteran family resilience(y), largely from the standpoints of the families of serving members and Veterans. Recently, my military/Veteran research program has expanded to include an emphasis on the impacts of operational stress on the families of public service personnel (law enforcement officers, paramedics, firefighters). This research and professional activity is applied, collaborative, and interdisciplinary.
For seven years, I led a community-university research alliance investigating service needs and service gaps experienced by individuals living with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Nova Scotia.
Family violence research and practice is also an interest. In collaboration with Dr. Diane Crocker at Saint Mary’s University and the Be the Peace Institute, I am a co-investigator on study investigating the meaning of justice for women who have experienced gender-based based violence, identifying implications for system change.
The courses I teach focus on the theories, skills, and dispositions required for research and practice in Family Studies and related fields. I teach across the trajectory from first-year undergraduate courses to graduate courses. At present, these include FSGN 1100 – Introduction to Family Studies, FSGN 2212 – Parent-Child Relations, FSGN 3314/GFSG 6614 – Family Violence across the Life Course, GFSG 6613 – Critical Theories in Family Studies and Gerontology, GFSG 6610 – Family Life Education, and GFSG 6606 – Research Methods in Family Studies and Gerontology. I have developed a course focusing on military families and taught it as a “special topic” at the undergraduate and graduate levels in 2014, 2019, and 2020. I have supervised 30 Masters-level students to date (three of these students were recipients of the MSVU Graduate Thesis Award). My students’ research focuses on the mental health and well-being of military and veteran families, parenting programs, and intimate partner violence. Service on the thesis committees of MA, MSc, and PhD students at MSVU, Queen’s University, and the University of Calgary continues as a commitment.
I serve on University committees, community boards, research groups, leadership circles, and professional associations. I am the Associate Editor of the Journal of Military, Veteran and Family Health.
Research Interests
- Military and Veteran families
- Military and Veteran family resilience(y)
- Family relations and social support
- Family violence and gender-based violence
- Qualitative research
- Critical theories
Recent Academic Honours and Awards
2018
The Vanier Institute Military and Veteran Family Health Research Award for best family paper presented at the Canadian Institute of Military and Veteran Health Research (CIMVHR) Forum – Regina, SK, October, 2017
2017
Fellow
Canadian Institute of Military and Veteran Health Research
2016
Induction to the Decade Club
Nova Scotia Health Research Foundation (NSHRF)
2015
Senate Award for Service in University Governance
Mount Saint Vincent University
Selected Publications
Norris, D., Schwartz, K. D., Eichler, M., Tam-Seto, L., Mahar, A., Smith-Evans, K., & Cramm, H. (2023). A qualitative study of the capabilities of family members of Veterans living with operational stress injuries. Family Relations, 72(5), 2869–2885. https://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12801
Norris, D., Cramm, H., Cox, M., & Mahar, A. (2024). Adult children in Canadian military families (1950-1991): Balancing demands with capabilities. Journal of Military, Veteran and Family Health, 10(2), 140-149. doi:10.3138/jmvh-2023-0060
Tam-Seto, L., Norris, D., Richardson, M., Gribble, R., Fear, N., & Cramm, H. (2024). There’s no club, absolutely nothing: Exploring the experiences of parents of veterans with illnesses and injuries in Canada. Journal of Military, Veteran and Family Health, 10(2), 130-139. doi: 10.3138/jmvfh-2023-006
Crocker, D., Norris, D., Bookchin, S., & Gosse, M. (2024, April 1). The legal system must show more compassion to survivors of sexual abuse. The Conversation.
Richmond, R., Ricciardelli, R., Dekel, R., Norris, D., Mahar, A., MacDermid, J., Fear, Gribble, R., & Cramm, H. (2024). Exploring the occupational lifestyle experiences of the families of public safety personnel. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation. doi: 10.1007/s10926-024-10179-x
Cramm, H., Cox, M., Norris, D., Reid, N., Tam-Seto, L, Dekel, R., Fear, N., Delaney, L. Richmond, R., Mahar, A. (2024). Lifestyle dimensions of public safety families: There’s no life like it. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation. doi: 10.1007/s10926-024-10213- y
Goulden, A., Baird, S., Romme, K., Pacheco, L., Pittman, J., Norris, S.E., Norris, D., Faye, L., MacNeil, S., & Pittman, J. (2023). Experiences of gender-based violence among disabled women: A qualitative systematic review and meta-synthesis protocol. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 22, 1-7. doi: 10.1177/16094069231183763
Cox M., Norris D., Cramm H., Richmond R., Anderson G.S. (2022). Public safety personnel family resilience: A narrative review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(9), 5224. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19095224
Norris D., Schwartz K., Eichler M., Tam-Seto L., Mahar A., Smith Evans K., Cramm H. (2022). A qualitative study of the capabilities of family members of veterans living with operational stress injuries. Family Relations, 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12801
Norris D., Smith-Evans K., Tam-Seto L., Cramm H. (2022). A post-traumatic growth perspective on PTSD: The case of military veterans and their partners. Military Behavioral Health, 10(2), 134-143. https://doi.org/10.1080/21635781.2022.2098885
Baluk, K., Norris, D., Schwartz, K.D. Whelan, J., & Cramm, H. (2022). Cultivating family resiliency within Canadian Armed Forces Veteran families in the context of military to civilian transition and mental health problems. Journal of Military and Veteran Health, 30(3), 49-55. https://doi-ds.org/doilink/09.2022-58564767/JMVH
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
Cramm, H., Norris, D., Fear, N.T., & 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
Cramm, H., Dekel, R., Norris, D., Fear, N.T. (2021). Travelling towards transition – Considerations for the military family. Journal of Military & Veteran Health. 29(4), 77-79. https://doi-ds.org/doilink/12.2021-22438543/JMVH Vol 29 No 4
Norris, D. (2021). Never in a straight line but always in the right direction: A story of a military family researcher. In M. Eichler, T, Moniz, & R. Green (Eds.), Speaking up: Stories of war and peace in Nova Scotia. Halifax: Nimbus.
Whelan, J., Eichler, M., Norris, D., & Landry, D. (2021). The politics of treatment: A qualitative study of Canadian military PTSD clinicians. Journal of Veterans’ Studies, 7(1), 217–231. doi: http://doi.org/10.21061/jvs.v7i1.227
Schwartz, K.D., Norris, D., Cramm, H., Eichler, M., Mahar, A., Tam-Seto, L., & Smith-Evans, K. (2021). Family members of veterans with mental health problems: Seeking, finding, and accessing informal and formal supports during military-to-civilian transition. Journal of Military, Veteran and Family Health, 7(1), 21-34. doi: 10.3138/jmvfh-2019- 0023
Cramm, H., Norris, D., Schwartz, K., Tam-Seto, L., Williams, A., & Mahar, A. (2019). Impact of Canadian Armed Forces veterans’ mental health problems on the family during the military to civilian transition. Military Behavioral Health. 8(2), 148-158. https://doi.org/10.1080/21635781.2019.1644260
Skomorovsky, A., Norris, D., Martynova, E., McLaughlin, K.J., & Wan, C. (2019). Work-family conflict and parental strain among Canadian Armed Forces single mothers: The role of coping. Journal of Military, Veteran and Family Health, 5(1), 93-104. doi:10.3138/jmvfh.2017-0033 9
Norris, D., Eichler, M., Cramm, H., Tam-Seto, L., & Smith-Evans, K. (2018). Operational stress injuries and the mental health and well-being of veteran spouses: A scoping review. Journal of Family Theory and Review. 10(3), 657-671. doi: 10.1111/jftr.12283
Cramm, H., Norris, D., Venedam, S., & Tam-Seto, L. (2018). Toward a model of military family resiliency: A narrative review, 10(3), 620-640. Journal of Family Theory and Review. doi: 10.1111/jftr.12284
Ostler, K., Cramm, H. & Norris, D. (2018). Geographic mobility and special education services. Understanding the experiences of Canadian military families. Journal of Military, Veteran and Family Health, 4(2), 71-80. doi.org/10.3138/jmvfh.2017-0010
Norris, D. & Smith-Evans, K. (2018). The experiences of spouses of Canadian Armed Forces veterans diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder: Pathways to resilience. In S. Dursun, S. Urban, & W. Dean (Eds.), The home front: Family well-being and military readiness. Kingston: Canadian Defence Academy Press.
Norris, D., Cramm, H., & Smith-Evans, K. (2018). The families of military veterans: A scoping review. In S. Dursun, S. Urban, & W. Dean (Eds.), The home front: Family well-being and military readiness. Kingston: Canadian Defence Academy Press.
Skomorovsky, A. & Norris, D., Bullock, A., & Smith-Evans, K. (2016). The impact of military life on children’s well-being and child-parent relationships in single parent military families. Journal of Military, Veteran and Family Health, 2(2), 29-36. doi: 10.3138/jmvfh.3753
Cramm, H., Tam-Seto, L., Norris, D., Eichler, M., & Smith-Evans, K. (2016). The impact of parental operational stress injury on child mental health and well-being: A scoping review. Military Behavioral Health, 4(4), 334-344. doi: 10.1080/21635781.2016.1181582
Tam-Seto, L., Cramm, H., Norris, D., Eichler, M., & Smith-Evans, K. (2016) An environmental scan of programs and services of Veterans with operational stress injuries Military Behavioral Health., doi: 10.1080/21635781.2016.1187098
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, 1(2), 11-15. doi: 10.3138/jmvfh.3287
Conference Presentations (Refereed)
Cramm, H., Reid, N., Hadjistavropoulos, H., Cox, M., Reiser, S., Norris, D., Tam-Seto, L., Dekel, R., Fear, N., Lawn, S., & Black, T. PSPNET Families: Evaluation of a wellbeing hub for public safety personnel families. Canadian Institute for Military and Veteran Health (CIMVHR) Forum, Ottawa | Gatineau, October 2023, Paper.
Norris, D. & Zimmer, Z. The Vietnam health and aging study: Qualitative exploration of resilience(y). Canadian Institute for Military and Veteran Health (CIMVHR) Forum, Ottawa | Gatineau, October 2023, Paper.
Skomorovsky, A., Norris, D., & Reeves, K. Well-being of regular force Canadian Armed Forces members: The roles of work-family conflict and organizational support to members and their families. Canadian Institute for Military and Veteran Health (CIMVHR) Forum, Ottawa | Gatineau, October 2023, Paper.
Roberts, L., Norris, D., Shirazapour, C., & Cramm, H. Considerations on the application of family theories, models, and frameworks within adult rehabilitation and recovery following acquired injury or illness. Canadian Institute for Military and Veteran Health (CIMVHR) Forum, Ottawa | Gatineau, October 2023, Paper.
Norris, D., White, C., Cox, M., & Cramm, H. An environmental scan of Family Science programs in Canada. National Council on Family Relations Annual Conference. Orlando, Florida, November 2023, Paper.
Norris, D., Richardson, M., & Cox, M. Toward understanding the dynamics of defence and public safety personnel (DPSP) families. Work-Family Research Network Conference, Montreal, June 2024, Paper.
Norris, D., Richardson, M., Cramm, H., & Vaters, L. Embracing interdisciplinarity in work-family research: Implications across the research life cycle. Work-Family Research Network Conference, Montreal, June 2024, Workshop.
Norris, D., Rudnick, A., Daigle, P., Nolan, D., Alarie, D., & *DuBlois, N.(2022). Evaluation of a family psychoeducation program. Canadian Institute of Military and Veteran Health Research Forum, Halifax, NS., Paper.
Cox, M., Norris, D., Cramm, H., Richmond, R., & Anderson, G. (2022). Public safety personnel family resilience. A narrative review. Canadian Institute of Military and Veteran Health Research Forum, Halifax, NS., Paper.
Roberts, L., Norris, D., Shirazipour, C., & Cramm, H. (2022). The experiences of families and friends of Invictus Games participants: An interpretive phenomenological analysis. Canadian Institute of Military and Veteran Health Research Forum, Halifax, NS., Paper.
Richmond R., Norris D., Mahar A.L., MacDermid J., Dekel R., Cramm H. (2022). Exploring the occupational lifestyle experiences of the families of public safety personnel. Canadian Institute of Military and Veteran Health Research Forum, Halifax, NS., Paper.
Eichler M, Cramm H, Norris D, Smith-Evans K (2022). Veterans and the transition from military to civilian life in Atlantic Canada. Military Service, Citizenship, and Political Culture in Atlantic Canada workshop, Université de Moncton, Paper.
Ritchie, K., Hill, S., Edgelow, M., Tam-Seto, L., Norris, D., Eichler, M. & Cramm, H. Changes in Veteran identity during military-civilian transition. Canadian Association of Occupational Therapist Conference (CAOT), 2021, May (Virtual).
Norris, D., Cramm, H., & Mahar, A. (2019). Exploring the Experiences of Adult Children of CAF Veterans: Implications for Policy Development. Canadian Institute of Military and Veteran Health Research (CIMVHR) Forum. Gatineau, Quebec, Paper.
Cramm, H., Norris, D., Schwartz, K.D., Tam-Seto, L., Mahar, A., Eichler, M., Smith-Evans, K., & Blackburn, D. (2018). Co-parenting with a veteran partner who has post-traumatic stress disorder. International Society of Traumatic Stress Studies (ISTSS). Washington, D.C., Paper.
Norris, D., Smith-Evans, K., & Cramm, H. (2018). Military family resilience/y: An environmental scan of programs and services. Canadian Institute of Military and Veteran Health Research Forum, Regina, SK, Canada, Paper.
Norris, D., Cramm, H., Schwartz, K.D., Mahar, A., Tam-Seto, L., & Smith-Evans, K. (2018). The mental health and well-being of families of CAF Veterans with operational stress injuries through the military-to-civilian transition: Implications for program and policy development. Canadian Institute of Military and Veteran Health Research Forum, Regina, SK, Canada, Paper.
Recent Invited Presentation
Norris, D. (2023, May 11). Advancing research in support of the families of military, veterans, and public safety personnel. TEMA Foundation Education Day, Halifax, NS.
Norris, D. (2023, January 28) Military family resiliency. Atlas Family Summit (virtual).
Norris, D. (2022, June 30). Needs of first responders after mass casualty incident. Mass Casualty Commission, Halifax, N.S.
Norris, D. (2021, March 20). Resilience/y and military and Veteran families. Presentation to staff of Halifax and Region Military Family Resource Centre (MFRC). Halifax, N.S.
Norris, D. (2021). Military and Veteran family research: Setting the stage for the next chapter. Canadian Institute of Military and Veteran Health Research (CIMVHR) and the Vanier Institute of the Family (VIF) Symposium. Virtual.
Norris, D. (2019). Military and Veteran family resilience(y). Presentation to staff of Halifax and Region Military Family Resource Centre (MFRC). Halifax, N.S.
Norris, D. (2019). Veteran family resiliency. University of Southern California – Canadian Institute of Military and Veteran Health Research International Summit. Los Angeles: CA
Norris, D. (2018). The impact of operational stress injuries on the family members of Canadian Armed Forces Veterans. Presentation to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
Norris, D. (2018). Family caregiving in the context of operational stress injury: Implications for program and policy development. Presentation to the 29th Canadian Military History Colloquium, Laurier Centre for Military and Strategic Disarmament Studies – Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON, Canada.
Recent Research Grants and Contracts
2024 What about the families? Strengthening a family’s research ecosystem for defence and public safety sectors. (Co-applicant). Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Partnership Grant. $2,500,000 M (CAD)
2024 Exploring the experiences and impacts of interpersonal violence affecting Veterans and their families (Principal Applicant). Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC). $60,000 (CAD)
2024 The Vietnam health and aging study: Qualitative exploration of resilience(y) (Principal Applicant). MSVU Internal Grant. $4987.96 (CAD)
2023 A qualitative study of the experiences of adult children of CAF Veterans. (Co-Principal Investigator). Atlas Foundation for Veterans and Families. $110,000 (CAD)
2023 A qualitative meta-synthesis of the lived experiences of gender-based violence among women living with disabilities (Co-Investigator). Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) and Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGE) – Knowledge Synthesis Grant. $30,000 (CAD)
2021 – Social Sciences and Humanities (SSHRC) Partnership Development Grant ($199,628). Families matter: A partnership of partners to study, serve, and support the families of military, Veterans, and public safety personnel (Co-Investigator).
2021 – Canadian Institutes of Health Research ($1,250,776). The long-term effects of war on biological aging: The case of Vietnam. (Principal Applicant – Named Principal Applicant: Z. Zimmer).
2020 – Canadian Institutes of Health Research (Team Grant: Mental Wellness in Public Safety Team Grant) ($251,631). Focusing on the family: Enhancing mental wellness in public safety personnel families (Principal Applicant).
2020 – Canadian Institutes of Health Research (Team Grant: Mental Wellness in Public Safety Team Grant) ($834,021). Building Resilience through Integrated Knowledge Transfer in Police Organizations: A Case Study Series (Co-Investigator).
2020 – Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Partner Engage Grant (PEG) COVID-19 Special Initiative ($25,000). Expediting research to practice during COVID-19: Optimizing family well-being of emergency responder personnel (Co-Principal Investigator).
2019 – Canadian Institutes of Health Research (Team Grant: Mental Wellness in Public Safety Team Grants – Letter of Intent Development Grant) ($30,000). Focusing on the family: Enhancing resiliency in public safety personnel families (Co-Applicant).
2019 – Canadian Institutes of Health Research (Team Grant: Mental Wellness in Public Safety Team Grants – Letter of Intent Development Grant) ($30,000). Three pillars of resilience program for public safety personnel (Co-Applicant).
2019 – Canadian Institutes of Health Research (Team Grant: Mental Wellness in Public Safety Team Grants – Letter of Intent Development Grant) ($30,000). Resiliency training for firefighters: a national implementation evaluation (Co-Applicant).
2019 – MSVU Internal SSHRC Explore Grant ($2950.20). Family psychoeducation for military veterans: A pilot study (Principal Investigator).
2018 – True Patriot Love Foundation ($34,100). Exploring the experiences of adult children of CAF veterans: Implications for program and policy development(Principal Investigator).
2018 – True Patriot Love Foundation ($35,000). Understanding the experience of parents caregiving for adult veterans injured through service (Co-Investigator).
2018 – Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) – Partnership Engage Grant ($24,682). Exploring (in)justice stories (Collaborator).
2017 – Veterans Affairs Canada ($194,235.19) Qualitative study on the health and well-being of families of Canadian Armed Forces Veterans with mental health problems (Co-PI).
2016 – Veterans Affairs Canada (357,849.06) Longitudinal study on the mental health of Veterans during military to civilian transition (Co-I)