Laura R LaChance

Centre for Addiction and Mental Health · Slaight Family Centre for Early Intervention

Background Anxiety disorders are prevalent and disabling conditions involving excessive worry and tension. Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), the most common anxiety disorder, affects 5% of individuals from high-income countries and many individuals report that treatment options are not accessible, effective, or tolerable. Clinical evidence sugges...

Aim: Psychotic disorders are associated with excess morbidity and premature mortality. Contributing factors include tobacco smoking, low physical activity, and poor nutrition. This study tested a Technology-Enabled Collaborative Care model to improve health behaviours among youth with early psychosis. Methods: A feasibility study among youth (ag...

Anxiety disorders are the most common group of mental disorders. There is mounting evidence demonstrating the importance of nutrition in the development and progression of mental disorders such as depression; however, less is known about the role of nutrition in anxiety disorders. This scoping review sought to systematically map the existing litera...

Background Schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD) are severe, persistent mental illnesses resulting in considerable disability and premature mortality. Emerging evidence suggests that diet may be a modifiable risk factor in mental illness; however, use of nutritional counselling as a component of psychiatric clinical practice is limited. The object...

Background: Schizophrenia spectrum disorders impact functioning, reduce quality of life and increase the risk of physical illness and premature mortality. Nutritional intervention studies aimed at decreasing body weight have demonstrated efficacy in improving metabolic outcomes; however, few studies have explored the impact of interventions design...

Introduction: Schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD) represent a cluster of severe mental illnesses. Diet has been identified as a modifiable risk factor and opportunity for intervention in many physical illnesses and more recently in mental illnesses such as unipolar depression; however, no dietary guidelines exist for patients with SSD. Objecti...

Schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD) represent a cluster of severe mental illnesses. Vitamins are known to play a role in various aspects of health and disease; however, the exact role of vitamins B12, B6 and folic acid in the development and progression of SSD are not clear. These vitamins play a role in the one-carbon metabolism cycle which is...

AIM To investigate which foods are the most nutrient dense sources of nutrients demonstrated by the scientific literature to play a role in the prevention and promotion of recovery from depressive disorders. METHODS A systematic literature review was conducted to derive a list of Antidepressant Nutrients from the 34 nutrients known to be essential...

Objective: Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids have been shown to be deficient in individuals with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder compared to controls (Hawkey & Nigg, 2014). Clinical trials of omega-3 and omega-6 supplements as treatment for ADHD have demonstrated minimal efficacy (Bloch & Qawasmi, 2011; Gillies, Sinn, Lad, Leach, & Ross, 20...

Improved, innovative strategies are needed for the prevention and promotion of recovery from mental illness as these disorders leading cause of disability worldwide. This article will review the evidence linking dietary pattern to brain-based illnesses and provide an overview of the mechanisms that underlie the association between brain health and...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to increase the understanding of adolescents’ perceptions of food insecurity and diet quality, and the impact that these factors have on mental health. Design/methodology/approach – This study used a community-based research approach. It gathered qualitative data from 11 in-depth interviews conducted with ado...

Dohan first proposed that there may be an association between gluten sensitivity and schizophrenia in the 1950s. Since then, this association has been measured using several different serum biomarkers of gluten sensitivity. At this point, it is unclear which serum biomarkers of gluten sensitivity are elevated in patients with schizophrenia. However...