Cindy-Lee Dennis

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Cindy-Lee Dennis, PhD, MScN, BScN

Associate Professor
Canada Research Chair in Perinatal Community Health
Shirley Brown Chair in Women’s Mental Health Research

Cross-Appointments:
Faculty of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry

Contact Information
Address: 155 College Street, Rm. 280
Phone: (416) 946-8608
Email: cindylee.dennis@utoronto.ca
Web-site: www.cindyleedennis.ca

Research

Dr. Cindy-Lee Dennis is an Associate Professor at the Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto and holds a Canada Research Chair in Perinatal Community Health. Prior to this chair award, Dr. Dennis held a New Investigator Award from the national peer-reviewed funding council, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and a provincial Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care Career Scientist Award.

Currently, she is the principal investigator of two large, multi-site randomized controlled trials related to the prevention and treatment of postpartum depression, both funded by CIHR, and a co-investigator on numerous other research projects concerning the care of pregnant and postpartum women.

She has over 60 peer-reviewed publications related to diverse maternal and infant health outcomes including the detection, prevention, and treatment of postpartum depression. She has also co-authored a best-selling book for health professionals caring for women with postpartum depression and has completed five Cochrane systematic reviews related to perinatal (antenatal and postpartum) depression. She developed the Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Theory and corresponding Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale, which is being used internationally in over 20 different countries, and is an active consultant in the development of several maternal peer support programs.

Degrees

1999 - PhD, University of Toronto
1995 - MScN, University of Western Ontario
1991 - BScN, University of Toronto

Selected Grants

2008-2009 An Evidence-Based Algorithm to Quantify Risk-Benefit Decision-Making for Use of Antidepressant Medication during Pregnancy and Lactation. Investigators: Ross, L., Grigoriadis, S. (Co-Principal Investigators), Cheung, A., Dennis, C-L., Steiner, M., Gideon, K. (Funding: CIHR, $98,000)

2007-2011 An RCT to Evaluate the Effectiveness of Telephone-Based Interpersonal Psychotherapy for the Treatment of Postpartum Depression. Investigators: Dennis, C-L. (Principal Investigator), Hodnett, E., Ravitz, P. Grigoriadis, S., Ross, L., Zupancic, J., (Funding: CIHR, $901,473)

2007-2009 Social Locations, Social Connectedness and Postpartum Depression. Investigators: Ross, L. (Principal Investigator), Dennis, C-L., Steele, L., Cairney, J., Bourgeault, I. (Funding: CIHR, $100,000)

2006-2008 New Mothers in a New Country: Understanding Postpartum Depression among Immigrant Women in the First Year Postpartum Investigators: Dennis, C-L. (PI), Noh, S., Ross, L., Grigoriadis, S., Stewart D., Gagnon, A., Wong, J., Fung, K. (Funding: CIHR, $100,000)

2004-2007 A Randomized Controlled Trial to Evaluate the Effect of Peer (Mother-to-Mother) Support for the Prevention of Postpartum Depression. Investigators: Dennis, C-L. (Principal Investigator), Hodnett, E., Affonso, D., Stewart, D., Lee, S., Zupancic, J. (Funding: CIHR, $1,005,526)

2004- The Childbearing Health and Related Service Needs of Newcomers (CHARSNN). Investigators: Gagnon, A (Principal Investigator), Wahoush, E., Stewart, D., Saucier, J., Dougherty, G., Oxman-Martinez, J., Stanger, E., Dennis, C-L. (Funding: CIHR, $2,079,618)

Recent Publications

Dennis, C-L., Hodnett, E., Kenton, L., Weston, J., Zupancic, J., Stewart, D., Kiss, A. (2009). The effect of peer support on the prevention of postnatal depression among high-risk women: a multi-site randomized controlled trial. British Medical Journal, 338: a3064, doi: 10.1136/bmj.a3064 (Published 15 January)

Dennis, C-L., McQueen, K. (2009). The relationship between infant feeding outcomes and postpartum depressive symptomatology: A critical systematic review. Pediatrics, 123: e736-e751.

Ross, L., Dennis, C-L. (2009). The prevalence of postpartum depression among women with substance use, an abuse history, or chronic illness: A systematic review. Journal of Women's Health, 18: 475-486.

MacArthur, C., Jolly, K., Ingram, L., Freemantle, N., Dennis, C-L., Hamburger, R., Brown, J., Chambers,J., Khan, K. (2009). Antenatal peer support workers and breastfeeding initiation: a cluster randomized controlled trial. British Medical Journal, 338: b131, doi: 10.1136/bmj.b131 (Published January 30).

Holland, S., Dennis, C-L., Letourneau, N., Robertson-Blackmore, E. (2009). Differentiation and clinical implications of postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis. Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic and Neonatal Nursing, 38: 269-279.

Alus Tokat, M., Okumu, H., Dennis, C-L. (2008). Translation and psychometric assessment of the Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale - Short Form among pregnant and postpartum women in Turkey. Midwifery, June 7.

Otsuka, K., Dennis, C-L., Tatsuoka, H., Jimba, M. (2008). The relationship between breastfeeding self-efficacy and perceived insufficient milk among Japanese mothers. Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, and Neonatal Nursing, 37: 546-555.

Harvey, J., Dennis, C-L. (2008). Hygiene interventions for prevention of cytomegalovirus infection among childbearing women: A systematic review. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 63: 440-450.

Dennis, C-L., Kingston, D. (2008). Telephone support for women during pregnancy and the first month postpartum: A systematic review. Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, and Neonatal Nursing, 37: 301-314

Dennis. C-L., Allen, K., McCormick, F.M., Renfrew, M.J. (2008) Interventions for treating painful nipples among breastfeeding women. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.

Gregory, A., Morrison, C., Penrose, K., Dennis, C-L., MacArthur, C. (2008). Psychometric assessment of the Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale among British women. Public Health Nursing, 25: 278-284.

Mossman, M., Heaman, M., Dennis, C-L. (2008). The importance of breastfeeding self-efficacy and breastfeeding attitudes on infant feeding method among adolescent mothers. Journal of Human Lactation, 24: 268-277.

Dennis, C-L, Letourneau, N. (2007). Global and relationship-specific sources of support: Impact on the development of postpartum depression. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 42: 389-395.

Dennis, C-L., Giavedoni, K. (2007). Interventions (other than pharmacological, psychosocial, and psychological) for treating antenatal depression. The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.

Dennis, C-L., Hodnett, E. (2007). Psychosocial and psychological interventions for treating postpartum depression. The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews..

Dennis, C-L., Ross, L., Grigoriadis, S. (2007). Psychosocial and psychological interventions for treating antenatal depression. The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Issue 3.

Dennis, C-L., McQueen, K. (2007). Does maternal postpartum depressive symptomatology influence infant feeding outcomes? Acta Pediatrica, 96: 590-596.

Dennis, C-L., Giavedoni, K. (2007). Interventions (other than pharmacological, psychosocial, and psychological) for treating antenatal depression. The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.

Dennis, C-L., Hodnett, E. (2007). Psychosocial and psychological interventions for treating postpartum depression. The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews..

Dennis, C-L., Ross, L., Grigoriadis, S. (2007). Psychosocial and psychological interventions for treating antenatal depression. The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Issue 3.

Dennis, C-L., Ross, L. (2006). Depressive symptomatology in the immediate postnatal period: Identifying maternal characteristics related to true and false positive screening scores. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 51: 265-273.

Dennis, C-L., Chung-Lee, L. (2006). Postpartum depression help-seeking behaviours and treatment preferences: A qualitative systematic review. Birth, 33: 323-331.

Dennis, C-L., Ross, L. (2006). Women’s perceptions of partner support and conflict in the development of postpartum depressive symptoms. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 56: 588-599.

Dennis, C-L., Ross, L. (2005). The relationship between infant sleep patterns, maternal fatigue, and the development of postpartum depression. Birth, 32: 187-193.

Dennis, C-L. (2005). Psychosocial and psychological interventions for the prevention of postnatal depression: A Systematic Review. British Medical Journal, 331, July 2.