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

2019 - 2021

Recognizing the unique pattern, clinical associations, risk and protective factors of suicide in autism

Granting Agency: CAMH Discovery Fund
Principal Investigators: Lai M
Co-Investigators: Brown H, Kurdyak P, Lunsky Y
Grant Type: Operating Grant
Grant Amount: $198,306

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

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Journal Articles

Journal Article

29/09/2025

Long-stay psychiatric inpatients with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities: an Ontario population-based study

Selick A, Campitelli MA, Huang A, Balogh R, Kurdyak P, Lunsky Y. Can J Psychiatry. 2025; Sep 29.

Journal Article

22/09/2025

Sexual and reproductive health in female adolescents and young adults with disabilities: a population-based study

Brown HK, Toulany A, Sharpe I, McPherson AC, Lunsky Y, Vandermorris A. J Adolesc Health. 2025; S1054-139X(25)00321-0. Epub 2025 Sep 22.

Journal Article

17/09/2025

Concurrent emergency department use by a new mother with a disability and her newborn

Brown HK, Varner CE, Lunsky Y, Santiago-Jimenez M, Fung K, Cohen E, Guttmann A, Pituch E, Saunders N, Telner D, Vigod SN, Zwicker J, Ray JG. Pediatrics. 2025; e2025071883. Epub 2025 Sep 17.

Journal Article

15/05/2025

Trends in healthcare for drug or alcohol use among pregnant women with disabilities in Ontario Canada

Camden A, Lunsky Y, Guttmann A, Vigod SN, Sharpe I, Lu H, Brown HK. Can J Psychiatry. 2025; 7067437251339794. Epub 2025 May 15.

Journal Article

05/05/2025

Maternal disability and emergency department use for infants

Brown HK, Lunsky Y, Fung K, Santiago-Jimenez M, Camden A, Cohen E, Ray JG, Saunders NR, Telner D, Varner CE, Vigod SN, Zwicker J, Guttmann A. JAMA Netw Open. 2025; 8(5):e258549.

Journal Article

10/03/2025

Healthcare utilisation and characteristics of adults with fetal alcohol syndrome: a descriptive population-based cohort study in Ontario, Canada

Dozet D, de Oliveira C, Lunsky Y, Calzavara A, Popova S. J Intellect Dev Disabil. 2025; Mar 10 [Epub ahead of print].

Journal Article

25/02/2025

Impact of pre-existing disability on long-term health care use following hospitalization for COVID-19: A population-based cohort study

Brown HK, Stukel TA, Chung H, Lee S, Lunsky Y, Bell CM, Bobos P, Cheung AM, Detsky AS, Goulding S, Herridge M, Razak F, Verma AA, Quinn KL. J Gen Intern Med. 2025; Feb 25 [ Epub ahead of print].

Journal Article

28/01/2025

Community and hospital healthcare use by adults with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities in Ontario, Canada, during the first 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic

Durbin A, Balogh R, Lin E, Palma L, Plumptre L, Lunsky Y. J Intellect Disabil Res. 2025; Jan 28 [Epub ahead of print].

Journal Article

21/11/2024

Repeated use of hospital-based services and delayed hospital discharges in a population-based cohort of autistic adults in Canada

Lunsky Y, Balogh R, Chung H, Durbin A, Lai MC, Tint A, Weiss J, Isaacs B, Lin E. Autism. 2024; Nov 21 [Epub ahead of print].

Journal Article

16/10/2024

Comparison of long-term healthcare use among older adults with disabilities following hospitalization for COVID-19, sepsis, or influenza: a population-based cohort study

Lapp JM, Stukel TA, Chung H, Lee S, Lunsky Y, Bell CM, Cheung AM, Detsky AS, Goulding S, Herridge M, Ahmad A, Razak F, Verma AA, Brown HK, Bobos P, Quinn KL. Lancet Reg Health Am. 2024; 39:100910.

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News Coverage

News Release

29/09/2025

Patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities substantially over-represented among long-stay psychiatric inpatients

Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) account for more than one in five patients who have been in Ontario’s mental health beds for over a year, according to a new study from researchers at ICES and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH).

News Release

09/07/2024

Newborns of women with disabilities overrepresented in children’s services

News Release

03/07/2024

Participation in Special Olympics linked to reduced risk of diabetes among individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities

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

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

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Contact Details

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

Recognizing the unique pattern, clinical associations, risk and protective factors of suicide in autism

Healthcare access research in developmental disabilities

Journal Articles

Long-stay psychiatric inpatients with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities: an Ontario population-based study

Sexual and reproductive health in female adolescents and young adults with disabilities: a population-based study

Concurrent emergency department use by a new mother with a disability and her newborn

Trends in healthcare for drug or alcohol use among pregnant women with disabilities in Ontario Canada

Maternal disability and emergency department use for infants

Healthcare utilisation and characteristics of adults with fetal alcohol syndrome: a descriptive population-based cohort study in Ontario, Canada

Impact of pre-existing disability on long-term health care use following hospitalization for COVID-19: A population-based cohort study

Community and hospital healthcare use by adults with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities in Ontario, Canada, during the first 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic

Repeated use of hospital-based services and delayed hospital discharges in a population-based cohort of autistic adults in Canada

Comparison of long-term healthcare use among older adults with disabilities following hospitalization for COVID-19, sepsis, or influenza: a population-based cohort study

News Coverage

Patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities substantially over-represented among long-stay psychiatric inpatients

Newborns of women with disabilities overrepresented in children’s services

Participation in Special Olympics linked to reduced risk of diabetes among individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities

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

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

Recognizing the unique pattern, clinical associations, risk and protective factors of suicide in autism

Healthcare access research in developmental disabilities

Journal Articles

Long-stay psychiatric inpatients with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities: an Ontario population-based study

Sexual and reproductive health in female adolescents and young adults with disabilities: a population-based study

Concurrent emergency department use by a new mother with a disability and her newborn

Trends in healthcare for drug or alcohol use among pregnant women with disabilities in Ontario Canada

Maternal disability and emergency department use for infants

Healthcare utilisation and characteristics of adults with fetal alcohol syndrome: a descriptive population-based cohort study in Ontario, Canada

Impact of pre-existing disability on long-term health care use following hospitalization for COVID-19: A population-based cohort study

Community and hospital healthcare use by adults with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities in Ontario, Canada, during the first 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic

Repeated use of hospital-based services and delayed hospital discharges in a population-based cohort of autistic adults in Canada

Comparison of long-term healthcare use among older adults with disabilities following hospitalization for COVID-19, sepsis, or influenza: a population-based cohort study

News Coverage

Patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities substantially over-represented among long-stay psychiatric inpatients

Newborns of women with disabilities overrepresented in children’s services

Participation in Special Olympics linked to reduced risk of diabetes among individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities

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

Get in touch with Yona Lunsky

Get in touch with
Yona Lunsky