Dr. Tea Rosic, MD, PhD, is a Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist at CHEO and Scientist at the CHEO Research Institute. She is the CHEO RI and University of Ottawa Junior Research Chair in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Dr. Rosic obtained her PhD in Health Research Methodology at McMaster University where she also completed her residency training in Psychiatry. She is an Assistant Professor at the University of Ottawa Department of Psychiatry and with the School of Epidemiology and Public Health. Dr. Rosic’s clinical work with youth experiencing substance use health concerns, and their families, inspires the research she conducts. Her research program aims to better understand the development, prevention, and management of co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders (concurrent disorders) in young people. She has a special interest in health services research in concurrent disorders across the lifespan. Her research lab uses diverse quantitative and qualitative research methods to achieve these goals. Opportunities for students include participation in primary observational data collection, quantitative data analysis, implementation science and evaluation research, knowledge syntheses, and knowledge mobilization.
Research Projects
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Physician Follow-Up of Pediatric and Young Adult Emergency Department Visits for Substance Use in Ontario, Canada
01/11/2024
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Components of Outpatient Child and Youth Concurrent Disorders Programs: A Critical Interpretive Synthesis:
09/11/2023
Concurrent disorders, defined as co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders (SUDs), are often underrecognized, undertreated, 1 and lead to significant patient morbidity and mortality, and costs to the healthcare system.2,3 Children and youth aged 15–24 experience the highest rates of mental illness and substance use compared to any other age group, 4 as well as higher rates of concurrent disorders. 5 Previous studies suggest that more than 60% of children and youth with a SUD have a comorbid psychiatric disorder,6,7 such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety disorders, mood disorders, impulse control disorders, or psychotic disorders.7,8 It is estimated that while 15% of adolescents in the general population report symptoms of a substance use problem, less than 1% report receiving treatment in the past year. 9 Moreover, children and youth with concurrent disorders are less likely to access services than those without this comorbidity, due to difficulty connecting with the appropriate services, requirements of abstinence for receipt of services, and exposure to stigmatizing attitudes within the health care system.10,11 The risks of untreated concurrent disorders in young people are well established and include interpersonal difficulties, school drop-out, engagement in risky or illegal activities, hospitalization, and suicide.12-16 In contrast, treatment of concurrent disorders in children and youth has lasting effects and has been shown to reduce mental health and SUD diagnoses and emergency department visits up to three years later. 17
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Trends in Rates of Opioid Agonist Treatment and Opioid-Related Deaths for Youths in Ontario, Canada, 2013-2021
06/07/2023
The overdose crisis across North America continues to worsen. While opioid-related deaths concentrate among middle-aged adults, recent data suggests an acceleration in opioid-related mortality among youths.1,2 Opioid agonist treatment (OAT) is a core response to this crisis as it is an evidence-based treatment shown to reduce opioid-related and all-cause mortality among individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD). Despite recommendation for its use,3 there are barriers to accessing OAT among youths, including: stigma, burden of witnessed dosing, and lack of availability of youth-oriented services and prescribers comfortable treating this population.4-6 Given the rising burden of opioid-related mortality in younger demographics, and the known barriers to accessing OAT in this population, we sought to contrast rates of OAT and opioid-related mortality between youths aged 15 and 24 years and adults aged 25 to 44 years in Ontario, Canada.