This text is part of the special Research section
Beyond her doctoral research in psychoeducation, Gabrielle Fréchette-Boilard is driven by a desire to help others, which leads her to get involved in several causes.
Most pregnant women have had this experience: a feeling of being a little confused, of having a lack of concentration and of forgetting words. This is a phenomenon called mommy-brain, which could be translated as “mother’s brain”. Gabrielle Fréchette-Boilard, doctoral student in psychoeducation at the University of Quebec at Trois-Rivières (UQTR), is looking into the question as part of her research.
“Currently, the subject I am working on concerns the cognitive functions of pregnant women,” she says. We further explore this phenomenon popularized under the term mommy-brain, which is part of my thesis. Through a sample of more than 500 women that we have recruited in recent years, we are trying to better understand this phenomenon and the variables that could be associated with it, either pregnancy or stress. »
THE mommy-brain is certainly a subjective feeling of mothers, but science is trying to better explain it and find its causes. “It’s a phenomenon that mothers report and, through the results that we observe, there are explanations that we want to add to what the current scientific literature already identifies,” says the doctoral student.
Social and community engagement
In addition to her doctoral studies, Gabrielle Fréchette-Boilard is strongly socially involved. In 2022, she won the Student Engagement Prize awarded by UQTR, both for the excellence of her academic record and for her community involvement.
“UQTR deploys several regional centers,” she explains. I study at the Quebec campus. Not studying at the main campus comes with several challenges for students. We have virtual access to certain services, but the proximity of student services is still more difficult. Some needs are therefore met through student initiatives, both by associations and through special projects. »
This is the case of the Psychoeducation Peer Support Project, which has been underway for three years, of which Gabrielle Fréchette-Boilard is the coordinator. This is a two-part project: moral and psychological support for students and academic success.
“Very often, these are students who arrive at university, there is a certain imbalance compared to CEGEP. This project facilitates their integration. We are there to support them concretely through various facets: their workload, the programs available, access to services. The second component consists of hiring students who lead study groups and take charge of the material to be covered. Discussion and exchange sessions make it possible to revise the material in groups. We target the most difficult courses. This is a much appreciated service. »
On the other hand, she is also the president of the General Association of off-campus students at UQTR. “Each regional campus has a local association, and these are part of the general association which affects administrative and political aspects related to the university, such as group insurance for students. As I am a psychoeducator, the human aspect is reflected in the initiatives that I have implemented with my team. This year, I notably presented a food aid project to meet student needs. We wanted to help them meet certain basic needs to deal with inflation, so we invested $50,000 to offer snacks and lunch box meals and gift cards at food retailers. premises. »
She is also part of the Committee for Research by Students in Psychoeducation, which aims to raise awareness of student research by deploying various initiatives, such as a series of podcasts.
Two sides, one person
Being a psychoeducator certainly influences Gabrielle Fréchette-Boilard’s choices. But the opposite is also true: her social involvement also has a positive influence on her career as a researcher.
“My social involvement and all the capacities that I develop there, both in management and in leadership, influence the young researcher that I am,” she says. But the qualities that I develop in research, namely my ability to reason and ask questions to go further, also feed the involved woman that I am. These two aspects are aimed at helping society. I consider it to be like a loop. »
This special content was produced by the Special Publications team of the Duty, relating to marketing. The drafting of Duty did not take part.