HRI Senior Scientist, Dr. James MacKillop, has received $491,000 from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) for a study that will examine the impact of COVID-19 on mental health and substance use.
Dr. James MacKillop
Dr. MacKillop is one of 16 researchers from McMaster University to be granted funding that will help Canada understand the impacts of COVID-19 on various aspects of healthcare – from diagnostics and therapeutics to patient management and mental well-being.
The funding is part of the Government of Canada’s COVID-19 Rapid Research Funding Opportunity, which aims to mobilize science to address the health challenges of the current global pandemic. 139 projects have been supported across the country, for a total of $109 million.
Dr. MacKillop is currently running a long-term study investigating patterns of change in mental health and substance use over time among a cohort of adults. Recently he added a new stream of data collection to explore changes following the legalization of cannabis. He will now add additional data collection to this study to see how COVID-19 impacts both mental wellness and substance use over a one-year period.