Dr. Kathleen Dobson
Dr. Kathleen Dobson is an associate scientist at the Institute for Work & Health. She is also assistant professor in the University of Toronto's Dalla Lana School of Public Health and lecturer in the Department of Economics. She holds a PhD in epidemiology from the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto and an MSc in health research methodology from McMaster University.
Dobson’s research aims to understand how Canadians who experience mental health challenges participate in the labour force. Her methodological expertise focuses on longitudinal methods in complex observational data sources.
Prior to Dobson’s current position, she was a research associate at the Institute for Work & Health, where her research projects focused on determining trajectories of health behaviours, such as alcohol use and cigarette smoking, among working Canadians and exploring how these trajectories are influenced by work environments.
As an epidemiological scientist, I aim to answer questions that are of interest to scientists, policy-makers and, most importantly, Canadians from all walks of life. I can’t think of more important areas of study than work and health. They touch every aspect of our lives, from how we spend our days, to where we live, and to who we have in our social support networks. My research to date has been focused on the relationship between work and health over decades-long timelines, with long-term findings that offer valuable evidence to inform equitable health and employment policy.– Kathleen Dobson
Projects
Publications
- Mustard C, Orchard C, Dobson KG , Carnide N, Smith PM. The adequacy of workplace accommodation and the incidence of permanent employment separations after a disabling work injury or illness. Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health. 2024;50(3):208-217. doi:10.5271/sjweh.4149.
- Dobson KG , Gignac MA, Mustard C. The working life expectancy of American adults experiencing depression. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology. 2024;59(6):1013–1027. doi:10.1007/s00127-023-02547-4.
- Mustard C, Orchard C, Dobson KG , Carnide N, Smith PM. An observational study of pain severity, cannabis use, and benefit expenditures in work disability. Canadian Journal of Public Health. 2024;115(1):157-167. doi:10.17269/s41997-023-00821-1.
- Biswas A, Chen C, Dobson KG , Prince SA, Shahidi FV, Smith PM, Fuller D. Identifying the sociodemographic and work-related factors related to workers' daily physical activity using a decision tree approach. BMC Public Health. 2023;23(1):1853. doi:10.1186/s12889-023-16747-9.
- Dobson KG , Mustard C, Carnide N, Furlan AD, Smith PM. Association of persistent pain with the incidence of chronic conditions following a disabling work-related injury. Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health. 2023;49(5):330-340. doi:10.5271/sjweh.4096.
Speaker Series presentations
- Trends in depression and anxiety among Canadian labour force participants (2000-2016). IWH Speaker Series. October 22, 2019.
Media coverage
- 7 in 10 injured workers still experience pain 18 months later. Canadian HR Reporter. November 9, 2022. Available from: https://www.hrreporter.com/focus-areas/employment-law/7-in-10-injured-workers-still-experience-pain-18-months-later/371355
- Research Snapshot: Major depressive episodes reduce job earnings over a decade for working-aged Canadians. Evidence Exchange Network (EENet): CAMH. January 10, 2022. Available from: https://kmb.camh.ca/eenet/resources/research-snapshot-major-depressive-episodes-reduce-job-earnings-over-a-decade