Bianca Lauria-Horner

Related Information

• CV [PDF - 307KB]
  

Education

Doctorate of Medicine, Medicine, Université de Montréal

Research interests

Dr. Lauria-Horner’s research interests include designing and evaluating Mental Health Community based Programs for Primary Care Physicians and other target groups for example Law Enforcement, Educators

Selected publications

• Lauria-Horner, B., Beaulieu, T., Knaak, S., Weinerman, R. Campbell, H., Patten, S. MD, Controlled trial of the impact of a BC Adult Mental Health Practice Support Program (PSP) on primary health care professionals' management of depression (2018). BMC Family Practice.(In Press)
• Stuart H, Chen SP, Christie R, Dobson K, Kirsh B, Knaak S, Koller M, Krupa T, Lauria-Horner B, Luong D, Modgill G, Patten SB, Pietrus M, Szeto A, Whitley R (2014). Opening minds in Canada: Targeting change. Canadian journal of psychiatry. Revue canadienne de psychiatrie, 59(10 Suppl 1), S13-8. [Published] PubMed ID: 25565697.
• Bianca Lauria-Horner (2013). Managing Depression in the GP's Office. Diagnosis, 30(10), 59-62. [Published].
• Stan Kutcher, Bianca Lauria-Horner, Colleen Cash (2010). Building Psychiatric Clinical Research Capacity in Low and Middle Income Countries: the Cuban-Canadian Partnership Project. The Innovation Journal: The Public Sector Innovation Journal, 15(1), 1 - 10. [Published].
• Lauria-Horner B, Kutcher S, Brooks S (2004). The feasibility of a mental health curriculum in elementary school. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 49(3), 208-211. [Published].

Selected awards and honours

• The Primary Care Toolkit for Anxiety and Related Disorders, [Book]. Brush Publishing Inc. Edmonton, AB
  
• Learning Book of the Year with Book Publishers Association of Alberta. (for educational or PD resources) http://bookpublishers.ab.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/2017-Alberta-Book-Publishing-Awards-Media-Release-Winners.pdf
• R.O. Jones Best Paper Award - Canadian Psychiatric Association
• Canadian Police Knowledge Network National Award - Canadian Police Knowledge Network
• RCMP Distinction Award - Royal Canadian Mounted Police presented by Atlantic Region Human Resource Office

Memberships

• 2013-current: Mental Health Commission of Canada Representative on the Steering Committee for planning and implementation of the Adult Mental Health Practice Support program In Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Prince Edward Island
• 2014-2015: Collaborative Care Model Mental Health Project Committee [Member] - Stanton Yellowknife Hospital
• 2013-2015: Primary Care Working Together Committee [Member] – NSHA
• 2013-2015: Mental Health and Addictions Strategy for Staff and Physicians Steering Committee [Member] – NSHA
• 2007-2015: National Series of Educational Conferences [Member] - Canadian Psychiatric Association (Yearly)

Teaching

• Adult Mental Health Practice Support Program; 2017-current, (originally developed by the British Columbia (BC) General Practice Services Committee), trainer in the Mental Health Commission of Canada led dissemination in Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Prince Edward Island)
• Stigma Reduction Primary Care Training Workshop Paramaribo Suriname (November 2018). PAHO/WHO-MHCC joint partnership initiative
• Optimizing Management of Depression in Primary Care: “Physician Toolkit on Depressive and Anxiety Disorders” delivered in the Caribbean (2010) and Nova Scotia (2014-2016)
• Clinical Skills 1 Tutor 2013; Undergraduate Students; Division of Medical Education; January 8-April 18th 2013
• Improving Diagnosis and Management of Common Mental illnesses for Research Health Professionals (a Cuba-Canadian Project), 2010

Service & Activity

• Research Lead and trainer in the Stigma Reduction Primary Care 3-day Training Workshop in Paramaribo Suriname (November 2018), a PAHO/WHO-MHCC joint partnership initiative. Delivery and evaluation of two complementary stigma reduction training programs in Paramaribo, Suriname. At 6 months follow-up, there were notable improvements across all measures of stigma (Total OMS-HC and sub-scales for health providers’ attitudes, and willingness to disclose/seek help (from small to a strong effect size); preference for social distance’ (small to moderate effect). Participants indicated that they found the program useful to their jobs, improved their confidence working with patients with mental illnesses, and that it would positively change their behaviors when working with patients with mental illnesses. Finally, results were larger than previously observed evaluations of either stand-alone program.
• Research Lead in “The Prevalence of PTSD, depression, anxiety, and substance (alcohol) use disorder in the RCMP”; a collaborative initiative between Dalhousie, Horizon Health clinic in Gagetown NB (OSI clinic), RCMP, and UNB St John.  The research pilot’s goal is to collect data on the number of RCMP officers who screen positive for operational stress injuries in a representative RCMP population group in New Brunswick, assess the RCMP officers’ individual and psychological profile, and determine if profiles can predict the psychological outcome following a critical incident. Data analysis shows statistically significant correlations. The pilot data will inform future research to evaluate the effectiveness of preventative tools/strategies such as training/clinical interventions in members at risk once exposed to critical incidents.
• Research Lead in “Evaluation of a Mental Health Physician Support Program in Nova Scotia: Impact on Patient Outcomes and Stigmatization”, a demonstration project sponsored by the Nova Scotia Department of Health and Wellness and the Mental Health Commission of Canada; The Adult Mental Health Practice Support Program (PSP)—designed by the BC General Practice Services Committee (GPSC), a joint initiative of the BC Medical Association and Ministry of Health—assists primary health-care providers with management of individuals experiencing mental health problems.  The randomized control trial evaluated the impact of the training in 77 practices across Nova Scotia. Results show significant improvements in the intervention (training) group compared to the control (treatment as usual) for the following outcomes: professionals’ preference for social distance, physicians’ level of confidence in managing depression, significant relationship between increases in physicians’ level of confidence/comfort mental illness care and improvements in overall stigma, preliminary evidence of improvements in patients’ clinical outcomes, reduction in physician antidepressant prescribing at 6 months follow-up. In other words, the program has shown to have a positive impact on patients’ symptom ratings for mild to moderate depression, with physicians relying less on the use of pharmacological interventions.