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Population and Life Course
Studies
Head: Dr. Edward Adlaf
The overall goal of the Population and Life Course Studies Unit is to
describe the extent of addiction and mental health indicators in the population
and to monitor trends. This includes: providing and disseminating accurate
and timely data regarding alcohol use, other drug use and mental health
indicators among general and special populations; monitoring and identifying
trends in alcohol, other drug use and mental health indicators; and monitoring
and identifying risk and protective factors for alcohol, other drug use
and mental health indicators.
With our addiction and mental health indicators, we provide the knowledge
base for health professionals, program planners and municipal, provincial
and national governmental bodies. This information is also used to help
target prevention and other programs and to evaluate existing programs,
policies and health objectives; the result is an information base that
helps ensure needed programs are put in place in a timely and cost-effective
manner.
Unit investigators comprise a multidisciplinary group including epidemiologists,
sociologists, psychologists, criminologists and historians. Investigators
also serve as experts for international agencies such as the World Health
Organization and the United Nations Drug Control Programme.
A significant portion of the unit's work is dedicated to two ongoing monitoring
projects. The Ontario
Student Drug Use Survey, conducted every two years since 1977, monitors
the use of alcohol and other drugs and mental health indicators among
Ontario students in grades 7 through OAC. This survey is the longest ongoing
school survey in Canada. The newly expanded CAMH Monitor, which surveys
Ontario adults annually, also serves as a vehicle to assess and monitor
alcohol and other drug use, mental health indicators and public opinion
regarding addiction and mental health issues.
Other major ongoing studies include research on the following.
- A cross-national study, funded by the US National Institute on Drug
Abuse, is investigating drug use and violence among youth, deriving
information from schools, the community and young offender institutions.
- An historical study, funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities
Research Council of Canada, is investigating the links between gender
and aggression in a military town.
- A cross-national study (with San Francisco, Amsterdam and Bremen)
is investigating cannabis use and its consequences.
- A cross-national study, in collaboration with the Harvard School of
Public Health, is assessing differences in alcohol and other drug use
between Canadian and American university undergraduates.
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1-800-463-6273
