Introducing O'Brien Institute’s "Shaping the Future of Healthcare" series

At the O'Brien Institute for Public Health, we are privileged to work alongside some of the brightest minds in healthcare research. Our members are dedicated to advancing knowledge and developing innovative solutions that address the most pressing health challenges in Alberta and beyond.

We recognize that as Albertans, we are in unprecedented times as our healthcare system undergoes restructuring. In light of this, we are excited to launch O'Brien Institute’s Shaping the Future of Healthcare series, where we will be highlighting some exceptional researchers who are driving change and making a profound impact in the following key areas:

1. Primary care
2. Continuing care
3. Acute care
4. Mental health and addiction

Each week, we will feature dedicated members from these categories, showcasing their groundbreaking work, achievements, and the positive influence they have on our community. These individuals exemplify the O'Brien Institute’s spirit of innovation, compassion, and excellence.

Join us in celebrating these healthcare research innovators and learning more about the incredible strides they are making to improve health outcomes for all Albertans. Stay tuned for inspiring stories, insightful research, and a glimpse into the future of healthcare.

Let’s honour the people behind the progress. Together, we can foster a healthier, brighter future.

Mental Health and Addiction:

Addressing mental health and addictions (MHA) is a critical component of our health care system. All Albertans deserve equitable access to MHA services, from prevention to treatment to well-being. Read about some of our members who are leading innovative and transformative solutions to challenges in the MHA landscape.

Dr. Gina Dimitropoulos: Addressing youth mental health challenges

Dr. Gina Dimitropoulos, PhD, is an award-winning clinician, researcher, and professor in the Faculty of Social Work at the University of Calgary. Her research primarily focuses on youth and families affected by mental health issues, chronic health conditions and child abuse. She uses her research to contribute to system level changes to improve integration across sectors, promote seamless transitions between pediatric and adult care, and facilitate equitable access to care for all youth.

Using e-Mental Health to improve mental health outcomes for youth 

Dr. Dimitropoulos is currently working with a team of researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to assess the implementation of an e-Mental Health (eMH) platform for youth and young adults in Albertan communities. Their aim is to improve outcomes such as decreased emergency department use, suicide attempts, and shorter wait times in Alberta mental health services for youth. This novel study will be the first to integrate eMH across the continuum of care for youth mental health (i.e., schools and primary care to specialized clinics) which may have a major impact on the early identification of mental health issues and enhance access to different providers and services across multiple sectors and in rural and remote communities.

Enhancing continuity of care for youth with eating disorders

Dr. Dimitropoulos also currently leads a national team of over 90 relevant partners who are working to develop the first Canadian practice guidelines for pediatric-to-adult transitions for eating disorders. Dr. Dimitropoulos and her research partners will co-design the implementation of the guidelines for transitions from pediatric to adult services across Canada. The team hopes to be able to scale the guidelines within Canada and internationally across different contexts, funding structures, and systems of care to benefit youth in different circumstances.

Why does this work matter?

Dr. Dimitropoulos's research is making a tangible difference in the lives of youth by enhancing services and support for those experiencing mental health problems and barriers to accessing needed services that are culturally sensitive, youth friendly and developmentally appropriate. Her efforts aim not only to prevent and enhance mental health outcomes in young people but also to ensure sustained support as they transition into adulthood across different sectors and systems such as post-secondary education and the health care system.

Dr. Dimitropoulos is a professor in the Faculty of Social Work. She is a member of the O'Brien Institute.

 

Dr. Carly McMorris: Addressing the mental health needs of youth with neurodevelopmental conditions 

Dr. Carly, McMorris, PhD, is a registered psychologist whose research focuses on improving the health and wellbeing of children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental conditions (NDC). Through her work, Dr. McMorris aims to identify early determinants of NDCs, examine use of services by children/adolescents with NDCs and ultimately facilitate better health outcomes for them.

Investigating the prevalence of co-occurring mental health conditions with FASD

Dr. McMorris and her team of researchers recently released a paper (and an accompanying infographic) that studied how often fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) and prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) co-occur with other mental health and neurodevelopmental conditions. They found that 82% of people with PAE had a co-occurring mental health condition, with ADHD being the most prevalent condition. They also found that gender, age, and a diagnosis of FASD influenced the prevalence of co-occurring conditions. Through this study, Dr. McMorris and her team demonstrated the importance of considering neurodevelopmental and mental health conditions when assessing FASD diagnosis and treatment plans.

Improving mental health support for youth with and without NDDs during pandemics

Dr. McMorris and her team conducted two studies to look at how the COVID-19 pandemic affected inpatient psychiatric service use for Canadian youth with NDCs and without NDCs. Both studies found that, despite other services seeing fewer patients, inpatient mental healthcare services saw increased admissions for both youth with and without NDCs during the pandemic, and a decreased overall functioning. Taking results from both studies together demonstrates the need for an expansion of psychiatric services offered to youth to meet the increased need for them during future pandemics or major health crises.

Why does this work matter?

Dr. McMorris’s research emphasizes the critical need for healthcare service providers and policymakers to work together to improve the health outcomes of a vulnerable section of the youth population through policies, practices, and services offered.

Dr. McMorris is an associate professor at the Werklund School of Education and an adjunct associate professor in the departments of pediatrics and psychology. She is the director of the ENHANCE Lab. She is a member of the O’Brien Institute for Public Health, the Hotchkiss Brain Institute, the Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research and Education and the Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute.

Dr. Jennifer Jackson: Transforming health systems through harm reduction and nursing support

Dr. Jennifer Jackson, PhD, is a registered nurse and assistant professor in the Faculty of Nursing at the University of Calgary. Her research is dedicated to supporting nurses and revolutionizing health systems, with a strong focus on community-based addiction services and harm reduction strategies. As an expert and thought leader in the nursing and mental health and addictions fields, Dr. Jackson uses her work to advocate for the health and well-being of nurses and vulnerable groups, such as people who use drugs, and is committed to transforming health systems. 

Embedding harm reduction in drug use and addictions care

The overdose crisis is one of Canada’s major public health challenges, with current policies falling short in providing adequate care and support. Dr. Jackson uses her research to offer evidence-informed solutions for people who use drugs. She leads an 11-part article series in the Canadian Nurse journal, collaborating with other nurses to build clinical staff capacity in addressing the overdose crisis. This series, "Harm Reduction Saves Lives," promotes a non-judgemental, trauma-informed approach to care.

Dr. Jackson also evaluated Alberta's injectable opioid agonist therapy (iOAT) program, an evidence-based treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD). Her team found that iOAT yielded positive physical and mental health outcomes, with strong relationships between clients and iOAT nurses being crucial for success. These findings provide policymakers with evidence of an effective, patient-centered addiction treatment option focused on harm reduction.

Exploring and addressing the health and well-being needs of the nursing workforce

Dr. Jackson has led numerous research studies to examine the well-being of the Canadian nursing workforce. Her findings highlight the critical need for comprehensive support for all nurses, including nurse managers and leaders. She emphasizes the importance of recognizing that support requirements may vary based on gender. Dr. Jackson's work offers actionable recommendations to enhance the nursing workforce, including:

• Providing emotional support and personal coping strategies to address mental health needs.
• Ensuring adequate staffing and equipment to create healthy work environments.
• Reducing workplace adversity and fostering resilience among nurses.
• Offering education and support for nurses transitioning into new roles.

Why does this work matter?

Dr. Jackson’s research is crucial as it underscores the importance of harm reduction strategies in the care of people who use drugs, demonstrating significant positive impacts on patient health and well-being. Her work not only provides evidence-based solutions to address the overdose crisis but also emphasizes the need for a trauma-informed, non-judgemental approach to addiction care.

Additionally, Dr. Jackson addresses the mental health and well-being concerns of the nursing workforce, offering actionable recommendations to support nurses at all levels. By advocating for a person-centered model of care and a robust support system for healthcare providers, her research highlights how improved conditions for the nursing workforce directly translate to better patient outcomes and overall healthcare quality. This dual focus on patient care and workforce well-being is essential for developing policies that promote sustainable, high-quality healthcare systems.

Dr. Jackson is an assistant professor in the Faculty of Nursing and has a joint appointment in the Department of Community Health Sciences. She is a member of the O’Brien Institute, the Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning, the Hotchkiss Brain Institute, and the Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research and Education.

Dr. Tanya Mudry: Transforming substance use recovery with effective social support

Dr. Tanya Mudry, PhD, is a registered psychologist and an associate professor in the Werklund School of Education at the University of Calgary. She is a qualitative researcher with interests in addiction and addictive behaviours, recovery practices and counselling processes. Dr. Mudry uses her research to address the systems, practices, contexts, and relationships that promote recovery and mental wellbeing. She is also actively engaged in research focused on recovery from burnout among critical care clinicians and social support in recovery among critical care survivors.

Examining social support as an aid for substance use recovery

Dr. Mudry and her team recently conducted research to investigate how family members affect patients’ recovery from substance use. The team identified 18 categories comprising of different relational factors that helped and hindered patients in their recovery from substance use. They identified three main themes of factors that supported patients’ recovery:

Interpersonal and relational factors

• Helpful: Acceptance, emotional support, encouragement, open communication, healthy boundaries.
• Unhelpful: Negative attitudes (shame, anger), hurtful communication (pointing out mistakes), minimizing/denying substance use concerns.

Action

• Helpful: Positive engagement with recovery journey, family inclusion, tangible support, financial/material support, fostering recovery-oriented environments.
• Unhelpful: Withdrawing, doubting sobriety, controlling/monitoring behavior.

Knowledge and understanding

• Helpful: Learning about addiction and substance use, seeking understanding based on the experiences and perspectives of the individual in recovery.

Dr. Mudry’s research demonstrates the importance of social support in aiding patients’ recovery from substance use. Findings from this research highlight that the role of social support, while critical, is different for each patient. They also provide guidance to therapists and social support persons of patients on better ways to approach recovery for patients. 

Why does this work matter?

Dr. Mudry’s research provides evidence for social support as an important consideration for substance use recovery. She highlights the different ways social support can be embedded in recovery practices through providing emotional support, having knowledge of addiction and recovery, having open conversations, respecting autonomy, and actively engaging in the recovery process. Through this work, patients, counselling psychologists and social support persons are able to develop better practices to support substance use recovery.

Dr. Mudry is an associate professor in counselling psychology at the Werklund School of Education. She is a member of the O’Brien Institute for Public Health, the Hotchkiss Brain Institute and the Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research and Education.