Biography

Dr. Durbin is not taking any summer students.

Dr. Anna Durbin is a Scientist at MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions in the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St. Michael’s Hospital.

The aim of  Dr. Durbin’s research is to identify needs and evaluate interventions to enhance recovery of individuals experiencing marginalization. My work focuses primarily on three groups: (i) individuals with mental health and addictions problems, (ii) adults experiencing homelessness, and (iii) adults with developmental disabilities . The long-term goal is to increase these individuals’ ability to live stable and fulfilling lives in the community.

To do this, Dr. Durbin’s research draws on two pillars. The first pillar is evaluation of interventions with the aim of building real-world solutions to complex problems for adults experiencing marginalization in the groups noted above.   The second pillar is development of novel data sources and tools to identify gaps in care. Better information can guide prevention and intervention development and research. An important component of this is bringing together different perspectives, or first-time collaborators.

Dr. Durbin earned her Masters of Public Health (Epidemiology) and Doctorate (Health Services Research) from the University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health and Institute for Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, respectively.

Selected Recent Publications

1. Durbin, A., Brown, H.K., Bansal, S., Antoniou, T., Jung, J., Lunsky, T. How HIV affects health and service use for adults with intellectual developmental disabilities. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research. Accepted, March 2016.

2. Lunsky, Y., Durbin, A., Brown, H.K., Bansal, S., Heitfetz, M., Antoniou, T. Health profiles and associated service use among adults with HIV and intellectual and developmental disabilities. AIDS. 2017 Mar 13;31(5):697-705

3. Durbin, A., Sirotich, F., Lunsky, Y., Roesslein K., Antoniou T., Durbin, J.   Unmet needs among persons with human immunodeficiency virus in community mental health care: A cross-sectional study. A short report. Aids Care. AIDS Care. 2016 Jul;28(7):878-83.

4. Sirotich, F., Durbin, A., Durbin, J. Examining the need profiles of patients with multiple emergency department visits for mental health reasons: A cross-sectional study.  Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology. 2016 May;51(5):777-86.

5. Durbin, A., Durbin, J., Hensel, J., Deber, R. Barriers and Enablers to Integrating Mental Health and Addictions into Primary Care: A Policy Analysis. The Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research. 2016 Jan;43(1):127-39

6. Durbin, A., Sirotich, F., Durbin, J.  English language abilities and unmet needs in community mental health services: A Cross-sectional study. Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research, 15:336.

7. Durbin, A., Moineddin, R., Lin, E., Steele, L.S., Glazier, R.H. Examining the relationship between neighbourhood deprivation and mental health service use for immigrants in Ontario, Canada. BMJ Open, 2015 Mar 13;5(3):e006690.

8. Durbin, A., Lin, E., Moineddin, R., Steele, L.S., Glazier, R.H. Mental health care use for non-psychotic conditions by immigrants in different admission classes and refugees in Ontario, Canada. Open Medicine. 2014 Oct 28; 8(4): e136–e146.

9. Steele, L.S., Durbin, A., Lin, E. et al. Primary care reform and service use by people with serious mental illness in Ontario. Healthcare Policy. 2014;10(1):31-45.

10. Durbin, A., Durbin, J. Sirotich, F. Predictors of Unmet Need for Medical Care Among Justice-involved Persons with Mental Illness. Psychiatric Services. 2014 Jun 1;65(6):826-9.