Dr. Monique Gignac
Dr. Monique Gignac is scientific director and senior scientist at the Institute for Work & Health. She is also a professor in the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto.
Gignac’s research expertise is in the areas of health and social psychology, including health models of disability. Her research examines psychosocial factors like stress, coping, adaptation and communication, and their importance in understanding the impact of chronic diseases on the lives of adults across the life course. Of particular interest is research on workplace communication, privacy, support and accommodation needs among individuals living with chronic, episodic conditions.
Gignac's research program is strongly collaborative. She works with clinicians, epidemiologists, health economists, sociologists and health psychologists. Study designs in her research program span community health surveys, qualitative research, measurement design and evaluation, and analyses of population health datasets.
Gignac has received recognition for her research with a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Award (2013); an award for outstanding leadership and research from the Canadian Networks of Centres of Excellence (2011); Distinguished Scholar (2013), Lecturer (2014) and service awards (2019, 2021) from the international Association of Rheumatology Professionals (ARP); and recognition for mentorship (2015) from the Health Care, Technology and Place (HCTP) Strategic Research Training Program funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Care (CIHR).
“Many chronic physical and mental health conditions create ongoing challenges for those living with them. That's because their symptoms are often invisible. They're also intermittent in impact and therefore highly unpredictable. That creates a lot of stress and hard-to-answer questions. Should a person disclose their health condition at work? How does a person get support from others during times of difficulty without affecting their career? My goal is to apply research to improve the health and work outcomes of individuals living with these conditions.” – Dr. Monique Gignac
Projects
- Developing recommendations for an integrated approach to workplace health protection and health promotion. Funded by Alberta OHS Future. Completed.
- Getting the message right: strengthening RTW communication in B.C.'s health-care sector. Funded by WorkSafeBC Innovation at Work. Completed.
- Role of accommodations and communication practices in supporting the employment participation of Canadians living with disabilities. Funded by Canadian Disability Participation Project. Completed. (PI on the project)
- Understanding the employment needs and experiences of baby boomers with arthritis and diabetes. Funded by Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Completed. (PI on the project)
- Understanding the relationship between osteoarthritis and work: a systematic review. Funded by WorkSafeBC. Completed. (PI on the project)
Publications
- Tang K, Beaton DE, Boonen A, Gignac MA, Bombardier C. Measures of work disability and productivity. Arthritis Care & Research. 2011;63(0):S337-S349. doi:10.1002/acr.20633.
- Tang K, Escorpizo R, Beaton DE, Bombardier C, Lacaille D, Zhang W, Anis AH, Boonen A, Verstappen SM, Buchbinder R, Osborne RH, Fautrel B, Gignac MA, Tugwell P. Measuring the impact of arthritis on worker productivity: perspectives, methodologic issues, and contextual factors. Journal of Rheumatology. 2011;38(8):1776-1790. doi:10.3899/jrheum.110405.
- Zhang W, Gignac MA, Beaton DE, Tang K, Anis AH. Productivity loss due to presenteeism among patients with arthritis: Estimates from 4 instruments. Journal of Rheumatology. 2010;37(9):1805-1814. doi:10.3899/jrheum.100123.
- Tang K, Beaton DE, Lacaille D, Gignac MA, Zhang W, Anis AH, Bombardier C. The Work Instability Scale for Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA-WIS): Does it work in osteoarthritis?. Quality of Life Research. 2010;19(7):1057-1068. doi:10.1007/s11136-010-9656-y.
- Beaton DE, Tang K, Gignac MA, Lacaille D, Badley EM, Anis AH, Bombardier C. Reliability, validity, and responsiveness of five at-work productivity measures in patients with rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis. Arthritis Care & Research. 2010;62(1):28-37. doi:10.1002/acr.20011.
Speaker Series presentations
- Deciding whether to share health information at work: A new evidence-based tool for workers with chronic conditions. IWH Speaker Series. November 19, 2024.
- Unveiling the JDAPT: A new interactive tool to identify work-related support strategies for workers with chronic conditions and disability. IWH Speaker Series. March 21, 2023.
- What do workplaces need to know to help older workers stay on the job? A qualitative study of older workers’ disclosure decisions. IWH Speaker Series. September 20, 2022.
- Does it matter what workers’ reasons are for disclosing or not disclosing a disability at work? Why and how?. IWH Speaker Series. November 24, 2020.
- Challenges in accommodating mental and physical health conditions: What workplace parties are saying. IWH Speaker Series. June 12, 2018.
Interviews and articles
- IWH launches tool to help workers with chronic conditions find job-tailored accommodations. At Work: Institute for Work & Health; No. 112, Spring 2023.
- Tool to help workers with chronic and episodic health conditions. Canadian Occupation Safety. March 8, 2023. Available from: https://www.thesafetymag.com/ca/topics/technology/tool-to-help-workers-with-chronic-and-episodic-health-conditions/438794
- Older employees reluctant to ask for support: study. Canadian HR Reporter. November 30, 2022. Available from: https://www.hrreporter.com/focus-areas/culture-and-engagement/older-employees-reluctant-to-ask-for-support-study/371977
- Older workers not prone to ask for employer support, citing ageism and other issues. At Work: Institute for Work & Health; No. 110, Fall 2022.
- How workplaces can support staff with MS. Canadian Occupational Safety. September 27, 2021. Available from: https://www.thesafetymag.com/ca/topics/occupational-hygiene/how-workplaces-can-support-staff-with-ms/311283