Dual Diagnosis Research Program
Section Head
Dr. Yona Lunsky
Contact
Yona Lunsky, Ph.D., C.Psych.
Psychologist and Research Section Head
Dual Diagnosis Program
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry
University of Toronto
501 Queen Street West
Toronto, Ontario, M5V 2B4
phone: (416) 535-8501 ext. 7813
fax: (416) 603-9120
yona_lunsky@camh.net
Research Objective
The Dual Diagnosis Research Program is the only program of its kind in Canada with a focus on individuals with intellectual
and developmental disabilities and their families coping with mental illness and behavioural concerns. It is blended with
the clinical services in the Dual Diagnosis Program at CAMH, and research is undertaken through partnerships with services providers, consumers and their families, and policy
makers.
Summary of Activities
In order to examine the contributors to the mental health and behaviour difficulties experienced by adults with intellectual
and developmental disabilities, as well as potential interventions, research in the program focuses on three areas:
1) Clinical Research
A key focus of the research program is to build our understanding of individuals with a dual diagnosis and their families,
develop and evaluate treatment and support, and help prevent behavioural and psychiatric crises in this population. As such,
we are analyzing the clinical profile and service needs of our clients, and evaluating the effectiveness of the Dual Diagnosis
Program's clinical inpatient and outpatient services and interdisciplinary interventions.
2) Health Systems Research
Individuals with a dual diagnosis are one of the most marginalized groups in our health care system. Their needs are very
complex and few health care professionals feel comfortable serving them. Therefore, our research addresses broader issues
such as service delivery in psychiatric hospitals across Ontario as well as the crisis/emergency services throughout the province.
3) Education Research
In collaboration with colleagues from Surrey Place Centre and Queens University, the program is evaluating the impact of education
and training of medical students about individuals with developmental disabilities, and developing an evaluation of the impact
of training for primary care providers. In addition, we are co-leading an Interprofessional Education Project on Developmental
Disabilities, through HealthForce Ontario.
4) Family Research
We are very interested in what happens to families when family members with intellectual / developmental disabilities have
major challenges or are in crisis. We understand that families are instrumental to the care and recovery of people with dual
diagnosis, and that crises affect the entire family system, not just the individual. We conduct research to determine ways
of supporting families across the lifespan, and have developed a specific family oriented research website to assist families
in participating in our projects and obtaining information about their results (http://www.familyprojects.ca). Any families
who would like to participate or would like more information can do so by going to www.familyprojects.ca.
Click here to learn about current studies and participant recruitment.
For summaries of recent international research articles on dual diagnosis, click here.
Centre for Addiction
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