Shannon Stewart

Dr. Shannon Stewart, PhD

Professor - Applied Psychology

Dr. Shannon Stewart, PhD

Professor - Applied Psychology

Dr. Shannon Stewart is a Professor within the Faculty of Education at Western University.  She is a Registered Psychologist and the Clinical Training Director for the PhD program in School and Applied Child Psychology.  Dr. Stewart is also an Associate Scientist at the Children’s Health Research Institute (CHRI) as well as a Fellow and Board Member of interRAI, an international consortium of researchers from over 35 countries developing assessment-to-intervention systems for vulnerable populations across multiple countries. As a interRAI Research Fellow, Dr. Stewart is leading the international efforts for the development of the interRAI Child and Youth Mental Health Suite of instruments.

Dr. Stewart’s overarching program of research focuses on:

  1. Improving early identification of mental health problems and substance use
  2. Enhancing access to mental health care services
  3. Contributing to increased evidence-informed care planning to improve the functionality of mental health services across multiple service sectors

By providing a more systematic, coordinated and integrated approach to early identification and improved access to services, many of the childhood mental health problems can be improved through early diagnosis and intervention. Dr. Stewart’s research focuses on ways to better understand the complex medical, environmental, social, and psychiatric factors associated with mental health problems, treatment trajectories, and service use to better meet the needs of our children and youth. This research aims to reduce and potentially alleviate the negative consequences of mental health issues across the lifespan.

A major initiative over the last several years has been the international development of the interRAI suite of instruments for children and youth with mental health needs within a variety of service sectors (e.g., education, health, youth justice) and at different levels of service intensity (e.g., community and inpatient services for primary, secondary and tertiary care). This has also included Applications for the instruments such as: a) Collaborative Action Plans (CAPS) to support evidence-informed care planning; b) outcome measurement to evaluate programs; c) case mix systems to address resource allocation and intensity of services; and d) quality indicators for bench marking to improve outcomes across schools, hospitals, agencies and facilities. An essential part of this process is the facilitation and transfer of evidence to enhance knowledge mobilization and improve capacity building within the child and youth mental health service system.

Other areas of interest include trauma, school disengagement, non-suicidal self-injury, suicide risk, aggression, substance use, complex special needs, predictors of re-hospitalization, residential outcomes related to treatment sustainability, continuity of care and transition across service sectors. Dr. Stewart holds grants at the National and International levels concentrating on improving services for vulnerable children and youth exhibiting mental health struggles and their families.