Trauma Therapy Program Studies

Designing a Virtual Trauma-Informed Care Course for Healthcare Providers

We are conducting a study to inform the development of a virtual course on trauma-informed care (TIC) for healthcare providers. We are currently recruiting patients in the Trauma Therapy Program to complete a virtual, one-on-one 45-minute interview about what they would like healthcare providers to know about trauma, TIC, and gaps they’ve experienced in clinical practice around the provision of TIC. Participants will also be given the option to give your feedback on potential TIC curriculum content

“A program, organization, or system that is trauma-informed realizes the widespread impact of trauma and understands potential paths for recovery; recognizes the signs and symptoms of trauma in clients, families, staff, and others involved with the system; and responds by fully integrating knowledge about trauma into policies, procedures, and practices, and seeks to actively resist re-traumatization.” – The Substance Use and Mental Health Services Administration

You may be eligible to participate if you:

  • Are aged 18 years or older; and
  • Are participating in or completed a Resourced & Resilient (R&R) group in the Trauma Therapy Program at Women’s College Hospital; and
  • Have access to an appropriate device and internet connection for a virtual interview.

If you are interested in participating or have questions, contact traumatherapyprojects@wchospital.ca or 416-323-6400 ext. 5045.

This study is being conducted by Dr. Dana Ross, who is a psychiatrist and researcher in the Trauma Therapy Program at Women’s College Hospital, in collaboration with the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. This study is funded by the University of Toronto Department of Psychiatry Excellence Funds.


Research Studies for Parents of Children with Emotional and Behavioural Problems

Anonymous Needs Assessment Survey

Are you a parent of a child who is 12 years or under? If so, we would appreciate your participation in this 5-minute, anonymous survey, which will help us understand which treatments may be useful for families of children with emotional and behavioural problems. Information collected from you will be used in the OPTED Research Project.

This survey will:

  • Take approximately 5 minutes
  • Have no associated risk
  • Be completely anonymous
  • Be completely voluntary (you are free to stop at any time or not complete it at all)
  • Please note this survey will be used for research purposes ONY and that there is no intervention associated with it.

To complete the survey visit the website https://is.gd/bbsstudy. If you have questions or concerns about either the survey or the study please contact our research staff at 416-323-6400 ext. 5045 or annie.truuvert@wchospital.ca

This research is conducted under the direction of Dr. Aliza Israel and Dr. Brendan Andrade.


OPTED Research Project: Optimizing Treatment for Parents of Children with Emotional and Behavioural Problems

The OPTED Research Project at Women’s College Hospital aims to determine the effectiveness of a new assessment and intervention for parents of children with emotional and behavioural problems who themselves have difficulties with their mood. You and your child may qualify if:

  • You are a parent aged 18 years or older who has mood problems (e.g., diagnosed with Depression), AND
  • You have a child aged 6-10 years with emotional/behavioural problems

If you are interested in learning more about the study, please contact 416-323-6400 ext. 5045 or email annie.truuvert@wchospital.ca .

This research is conducted under the direction of Dr. Aliza Israel, Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist, Women’s College Hospital, and Dr. Brendan Andrade, Clinical Psychologist, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.


Project MINDSET: Mood, Inattention and Dysregulation Symptoms in Survivors of Trauma

Women with interpersonal trauma frequently suffer from other conditions such as ADHD, which may be overlooked due to exposure of life events. Assessing symptoms of inattention can be very time consuming, but untreated symptoms may negatively affect treatment for trauma. For this project, we are evaluating the use of an Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMAs). The use of EMAs, such as an app, help report current behaviours in real-time, offering a way to overcome barriers in assessment of ADHD.

This pilot project is called MINDSET, which stands for Mood, Inattention and Dysregulation Symptoms in Survivors of Trauma. It is being conducted by Dr. Blanca Bolea who is a psychiatrist and researcher at Women’s College Hospital. This project tests the feasibility and acceptability of an app called Mood mAPPer to detect symptoms of ADHD to help overcome barriers to diagnosing and treatment of ADHD among this population.

You may be eligible to participate in the clinical trial if you:

  • Are 18 years or older.
  • Identify as female
  • Have history of interpersonal trauma.
  • Currently undergoing treatment in the outpatient Trauma Therapy Program (TTP) or the SCOPE Mental Health Service or the General Psychiatry Program at Women’s College Hospital (WCH)
  • Are able to complete relevant study procedures online.
  • Have access to an iOS device such as an iPhone or an iPad.

This study is funded by the Academic Health Science Centre (AHSC) Alternative Funding Plan (AFP) Innovation Fund.

If you are interested in participating and wish to be contacted about the study, please enter your contact info HERE.