Professor of Political Science receives Insight Grant

Dr. Melissa Baker from the department of political science and public administration has been awarded a $397,054 Insight Grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). Funded through the Council's Insight Grant program, the six-year project - Stress and Polarization: Unintended Consequences of Political Competition for Democracy and Mental Health - examines how political competition shapes both personal well-being and democratic health.

Alongside Dr. Baker, the research team from Western University and McMaster University will use public health data, surveys, and laboratory experiments to investigate the economic and personal costs of political stress on individuals and the broader health care system. In addition to identifying these impacts, the project will test practical interventions designed to help individuals better cope with political stress. By reducing stress and mitigating its effects, the team aims to promote healthier political engagement, strengthen public health, and reduce political polarization.

This work builds on Dr. Baker's broader research agenda focused on mental and cognitive health in relation to political engagement. Her scholarship explores how anxiety, stress, and other cognitive factors influence political behavior and whether targeted interventions can improve both mental health outcomes and constructive political participation.

For more information on Dr. Melissa Baker: https://www.utep.edu/liberalarts/political-science/people/professors/baker_melissa.html

For more information on the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council: https://sshrc-crsh.canada.ca/en.aspx