Anita Unruh Bio

Dr. Unruh is a Professor in Health Promotion and Leisure Studies and cross-appointed to Occupational Therapy. Much of her work has been in the area of children and pain, pain education, and gender and pain. She has developed another area related to spirituality and health, and spirituality, religion and pain. She is strongly interested in how people constructed a meaning of stressful life experiences and find meaningful ways to live in these circumstances. She currently has a CIHR New Emerging Team grant with colleagues at the IWK, Dalhousie and the Nova Scotia Agricultural College.

Research Interests:

• Gender, appraisal, and coping with pain
• Leisure occupations or activities and coping with serious life crises
• Spirtuality in health and evidence-based practice