Dr. Amy Porath is the Director of Research and Knowledge Mobilization at the Knowledge Institute on Child and Youth Mental Health and Addictions. In this role, she leads efforts to identify and respond to the knowledge needs of the child and youth mental health and addictions sector and others who shape policy and practice in this area. This includes advancing and mobilizing knowledge through applied research initiatives and the development of knowledge products and quality standards. For the past 22 years, Amy’s program of research and knowledge mobilization has focused on substance use health and addictions with the view to advancing policy, practice and programs.
Research Projects
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Impacts of medical and non-medical cannabis on the health of older adults: Findings from a scoping review of the literature
17/02/2023
The effects of medical cannabis are inconsistent within specific patient conditions. For older adults, generally, the available evidence suggests cannabis use may be associated with greater frequencies of mental health issues, substance use, and acute healthcare use, and the benefit-to-risk ratio is unclear. Studies with a balanced assessment of benefits and harms may guide appropriate public health messaging to balance the marketing pressures of cannabis to older adults.
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Evaluating how has care been affected by the Ontario COVID-19 Opioid Agonist Treatment Guidance: Patients’ and prescribers’ experiences with changes in unsupervised dosing
23/12/2021
Results support the need to re-evaluate historical approaches to OAT care delivery, particularly unsupervised doses. It is crucial to implement policies, regulations, and supports to reduce barriers to OAT care during the pandemic and once the pandemic response restrictions are eased. Flexibility in OAT care delivery, particularly unsupervised dosing, will be key to providing patient-centered care for persons with opioid use disorder.
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How high? Trends in cannabis use prior to first admission to inpatient psychiatry in Ontario, Canada, between 2007 and 2017
12/01/2021
As medical cannabis policies in Canada have evolved, cannabis use reported prior to first admission to inpatient psychiatry has increased. The findings of this study establish a baseline for evaluating the impact of changes in cannabis-related policies in Ontario on cannabis use prior to admission to inpatient psychiatry.