Yona Lunsky

Adjunct Scientist (Full Status) ICES Central Mental Health & Addictions Research Program

Biography

At the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Dr. Yona Lunsky is a clinician-scientist in Adult Neurodevelopmental Services, director of the Healthcare Access Research and Developmental Disabilities (H-CARDD) Program, and director of the Azrieli Centre for Adult Neurodevelopmental Disabilities. She is professor and development disabilities lead in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto.

PhD, Clinical Psychology, Ohio State University
MA, Clinical Psychology, Ohio State University
BA, University of Guelph

Health services research
Mental health and addictions

Director, Azrieli Centre for Adult Neurodevelopmental Disabilities and Mental Health, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Professor and developmental disabilities lead, Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto
Director of the Healthcare Access Research and Developmental Disabilities (H-CARDD) Program, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Clinician-Scientist in Adult Neurodevelopmental Services, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

ICES Grants

Grant

2021 - 2025

Maternal disability and child preventive healthcare: supporting family-centred care

Granting Agency: Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Principal Investigators: Brown H
Co-Investigators: Cohen E, Gemmill M, Guttmann A, Lunsky YJ, Pituch E, Saunders NR, Telner D, Vigod SN, Zwicker JD
Grant Type: Project Grant
Grant Amount: $439,876

Grant

2019 - 2023

Psychotropic drug use and safety among children and youth

Granting Agency: Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Principal Investigators: Antoniou T, Gomes T
Co-Investigators: Gardner W, Juurlink DN, Lunsky YJ, Mamdani M, Pajer K, Penner M, Tadrous M
Grant Type: Project Grant
Grant Amount: $481,952

Grant

2010 - 2016

Healthcare access research in developmental disabilities

Granting Agency: Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Principal Investigators: Balogh R, Carlucci R, Cobigo V, Gonzales A, Isaacs B, Lin E, Lunsky Y, Neitzert M, Ouellette-Kuntz H
Co-Investigators: Barnsley J, Barry K, Blugerman T, Bullock H, Casson R, Durbin J, Farrell S, Jaakkimainen L, Martin L, Morris S, O'Shea M, Paprica A, Southiere A, Stemp S, Sullivan W, Weisberg, S, Weiss J
Grant Type: Partnerships for Health System Improvement (PHSI)
Grant Amount: $766,000

See All

Journal Articles

Journal Article

24/01/2024

Intellectual and developmental disabilities in Ontario’s criminal justice and forensic mental health systems: using data to tell the story

Lunsky Y, Matheson FI, Kouyoumdjian F, Whittingham L, Lin E, Durbin A, Calzavara A, Moser A, Dastoori P, Sirotich F, Volpe T. Crim Behav Ment Health. 2024; Jan 24 [Epub ahead of print].

Journal Article

05/01/2024

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on prescription stimulant use among children and youth: a population-based study

Antoniou T, Pajer K, Gardner W, Penner M, Lunsky Y, McCormack D, Tadrous M, Mamdani M, Gozdyra P, Juurlink DN, Gomes T. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2024; Jan 5 [Epub ahead of print].

Journal Article

19/10/2023

Impact of a publicly-funded pharmacare program policy on benzodiazepine dispensing among children and youth: a population-based natural experiment

Antoniou T, McCormack D, Kitchen S, Pajer K, Gardner W, Lunsky Y, Penner M, Tadrous M, Mamdani M, Juurlink DN, Gomes T. BMC Pediatr. 2023; 23(1):519. Epub 2023 Oct 19.

Journal Article

08/08/2023

Self-harm events and suicide deaths among autistic individuals in Ontario, Canada

Lai MC, Saunders NR, Huang A, Artani A, Wilton AS, Zaheer J, Ameis SH, Brown HK, Lunsky Y. JAMA Netw Open. 2023; 6(8):e2327415. Epub 2023 Aug 8.

Journal Article

03/08/2023

Comparison of emergency department use between pregnant people with and without disabilities in Ontario, Canada

Brown HK, Varner C, Ray JG, Scime NV, Fung K, Guttmann A, Havercamp SM, Vigod SN, Lunsky Y. JAMA Netw Open. 2023; 6(8):e2327185. Epub 2023 Aug 3.

Journal Article

12/05/2023

Adherence to antipsychotic laboratory monitoring guidelines in children and youth: a population-based study

Antoniou T, Wang T, Pajer K, Gardner W, Lunsky Y, Penner M, Tadrous M, Mamdani M, Juurlink DN, Gomes T. Front Psychiatry. 2023; 14:1172559. Epub 2023 May 12.

Journal Article

07/04/2023

Physical disability and venous thromboembolism during pregnancy and the postpartum period: a population-based cohort study

Vainder M, Ray JG, Lunsky Y, Fung K, Vigod SN, Havercamp SM, Parish SL, Brown HK. J Thromb Haemost. 2023; 21(7):1882-90. Epub 2023 Apr 7.

Journal Article

05/04/2023

Impact of a publicly-funded pharmacare program on prescription stimulant use among children and youth: a population-based observational natural experiment

Antoniou T, McCormack D, Kitchen S, Pajer K, Gardner W, Lunsky Y, Penner M, Tadrous M, Mamdani M, Juurlink DN, Gomes T. Can J Psychiatry. 2023; Apr 5 [Epub ahead of print].

Journal Article

11/01/2023

Geographic variation and sociodemographic correlates of prescription psychotropic drug use among children and youth in Ontario, Canada: a population-based study

Antoniou T, McCormack D, Kitchen S, Pajer K, Gardner W, Lunsky Y, Penner M, Tadrous M, Mamdani M, Juurlink DN, Gomes T. BMC Public Health. 2023; 23(1):85. Epub 2023 Jan 11.

Journal Article

03/01/2023

Disability and in-hospital breastfeeding practices and supports in Ontario, Canada: a population-based study

Brown HK, Taylor V, Vigod SN, Dennis CL, Fung K, Chen S, Guttmann A, Havercamp SM, Parish SL, Ray JG, Lunsky Y. Lancet Public Health. 2023; 8(1):E47-65. Epub 2023 Jan 3.

See All

News Coverage

News Release

09/08/2023

Study finds adults with developmental disabilities at risk for dying prematurely at a rate nearly four times higher than those without developmental disabilities

News Release

01/11/2018

More than one in three adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities are high-cost healthcare patients

News Release

15/11/2017

Hospital readmissions nearly two times more likely for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and mental illness than those with mental illness alone

News Release

13/09/2017

Get in touch with
Yona Lunsky

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Yona Lunsky

Biography

Education

Research Focus

Other Affiliations

ICES Grants

Maternal disability and child preventive healthcare: supporting family-centred care

Psychotropic drug use and safety among children and youth

Healthcare access research in developmental disabilities

Journal Articles

Intellectual and developmental disabilities in Ontario’s criminal justice and forensic mental health systems: using data to tell the story

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on prescription stimulant use among children and youth: a population-based study

Impact of a publicly-funded pharmacare program policy on benzodiazepine dispensing among children and youth: a population-based natural experiment

Self-harm events and suicide deaths among autistic individuals in Ontario, Canada

Comparison of emergency department use between pregnant people with and without disabilities in Ontario, Canada

Adherence to antipsychotic laboratory monitoring guidelines in children and youth: a population-based study

Physical disability and venous thromboembolism during pregnancy and the postpartum period: a population-based cohort study

Impact of a publicly-funded pharmacare program on prescription stimulant use among children and youth: a population-based observational natural experiment

Geographic variation and sociodemographic correlates of prescription psychotropic drug use among children and youth in Ontario, Canada: a population-based study

Disability and in-hospital breastfeeding practices and supports in Ontario, Canada: a population-based study

News Coverage

A call to improve mental health support to reduce the risks of self-harm and suicide in autistic individuals

Newborns of women with disabilities have higher rates of health complications after birth

One in six adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities newly prescribed an antipsychotic

Study finds adults with developmental disabilities at risk for dying prematurely at a rate nearly four times higher than those without developmental disabilities

More than one in three adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities are high-cost healthcare patients

Hospital readmissions nearly two times more likely for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and mental illness than those with mental illness alone

Half of young adults with autism have at least one psychiatric diagnosis

Antipsychotics common for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities

Adults with developmental disabilities more likely to be diagnosed and hospitalized with diabetes: study

Researchers call for health-care changes to help adults with developmental disabilities

Get in touch with
Yona Lunsky

Yona Lunsky

Biography

Education

Research Focus

Other Affiliations

ICES Grants

Maternal disability and child preventive healthcare: supporting family-centred care

Psychotropic drug use and safety among children and youth

Healthcare access research in developmental disabilities

Journal Articles

Intellectual and developmental disabilities in Ontario’s criminal justice and forensic mental health systems: using data to tell the story

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on prescription stimulant use among children and youth: a population-based study

Impact of a publicly-funded pharmacare program policy on benzodiazepine dispensing among children and youth: a population-based natural experiment

Self-harm events and suicide deaths among autistic individuals in Ontario, Canada

Comparison of emergency department use between pregnant people with and without disabilities in Ontario, Canada

Adherence to antipsychotic laboratory monitoring guidelines in children and youth: a population-based study

Physical disability and venous thromboembolism during pregnancy and the postpartum period: a population-based cohort study

Impact of a publicly-funded pharmacare program on prescription stimulant use among children and youth: a population-based observational natural experiment

Geographic variation and sociodemographic correlates of prescription psychotropic drug use among children and youth in Ontario, Canada: a population-based study

Disability and in-hospital breastfeeding practices and supports in Ontario, Canada: a population-based study

News Coverage

A call to improve mental health support to reduce the risks of self-harm and suicide in autistic individuals

Newborns of women with disabilities have higher rates of health complications after birth

One in six adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities newly prescribed an antipsychotic

Study finds adults with developmental disabilities at risk for dying prematurely at a rate nearly four times higher than those without developmental disabilities

More than one in three adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities are high-cost healthcare patients

Hospital readmissions nearly two times more likely for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and mental illness than those with mental illness alone

Half of young adults with autism have at least one psychiatric diagnosis

Antipsychotics common for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities

Adults with developmental disabilities more likely to be diagnosed and hospitalized with diabetes: study

Researchers call for health-care changes to help adults with developmental disabilities

Get in touch with Yona Lunsky

Get in touch with
Yona Lunsky