About Us
We are a research lab at the Department of Psychology at Toronto Metropolitan University led by Dr. Sarah Dermody. In the Clinical Addictions Research and Equity (CARE) Lab, we examine addiction risk from a multidisciplinary perspective—integrating psychological, behavioral, interpersonal, and biological risk factors to better understand the “how, when, why, and who” pertaining addiction risk and risk for other negative health behaviors.
The CARE Lab is working on ways to help individuals improve their health by tackling addictions to substances. Much of our research focuses on problematic usage patterns of substances, particularly alcohol, nicotine, and cannabis. We are interested in understanding risk and protective factors that can impact the use of each of these substances alone and in combination. Importantly, when these substances are used together, which is often the case, the health-related harms can be magnified. Ultimately, our research aims to inform and evaluate psychological, behavioural and pharmacological intervention approaches to help reduce the harms of using these substances.
An important aspect of our research is understanding why substance use and addiction can disproportionately impact some sexual and gender minority individuals. We are examining how minority stress experiences (e.g., being victimized due to one’s minoritized identity) can impact substance use and related harms. We are also collecting data to investigate barriers that sexual and gender minority individuals face when seeking treatment for their substance-related concerns.
Recent Publications
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This community-facing report summarizes findings from both the EMA surveys and interview portions of he PACT Youth Study.
Five recommendations are outlined to help mitigate harmful alcohol use and ultimately support the health and well-being of TGD youth.
To access a PDF of this report, please contact us at carelab@torontomu.ca.
Transgender and gender diverse (TGD) youth may be at increased risk for alcohol use due to gender minority stress (GMS) and specific drinking motives. Nineteen youth across Canada were interviewed and shared their lived experiences surrounding GMS, drinking motives and implications of alcohol use. Harm reduction techniques used by youth were also explored.
To access a PDF of this article, please contact us at carelab@torontomu.ca
Transgender and gender diverse (TGD) adults may be at increased risk for alcohol use due to gender minority stress (GMS) and specific drinking motives. This study examines the relations between GMS and resilience, drinking motives, and alcohol outcomes among TGD adults.
Experiencing higher rates of gender minority stress (e.g., stigma, marginalization, and discrimination) places transgender individuals at risk for alcohol use and related harms. This study assess the relevancy of current harmful drinking measures among trans and gender diverse populations.
College is a vital time to address mental health and substance use, especially amongst at-risk groups like LGBTQ+ students. This study compares patterns of mental health symptoms and substance use between LGBTQ+ and heterosexual/cisgender students.
Land Acknowledgement
The CARE Lab is situated on unceded land in Tkaronto (Toronto), which is the traditional territory of five Indigenous communities: the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, Anishinabewaki, Haudenosaunee, Attiwonderonk and Mississauga peoples. However, our research, staff, students, volunteers, and participants live and operate across many Indigenous territories across Turtle Island. We acknowledge and are accountable to the history of colonialism that impacts our daily lives, which includes recognizing the harms and medical mistrust that has been perpetuated by Psychology research, especially across Indigenous communities, as well as racialized, 2sLGBTQIA+, disabled/neurodiverse/mad, and lower income individuals. In acknowledging this history, we commit ourselves to combatting colonial influences of past and present in our research.