Jennifer Couturier

  • Associate Professor, Psychiatry & Behavioural Neurosciences
  • Associate Member, Departments of Clinical Epidemiology & Biostatistics, and Pediatrics

Dr. Jennifer Couturier is a child and adolescent psychiatrist, and is the medical co-director of the Pediatric Eating Disorders Program at McMaster Children's Hospital. Dr. Couturier has completed a qualitative study with clinicians across Ontario on understanding the uptake of evidence-based treatment in the field of pediatric eating disorders; this project was funded by the Hamilton Academic Health Sciences Organization Alternate Funding Plan Innovation Fund. Dr. Couturier has also received funding from CIHR to develop and study an implementation program to train clinicians across Ontario in Family-Based Treatment for children and adolescents with eating disorders. This therapy has better outcomes compared to individual treatment, as shown in Dr. Couturier’s recently published meta-analysis on this topic. She is applying for further funding to develop Canadian practice guidelines on eating disorders in children and adolescents, which was a recommendation arising out of her qualitative work.

Current Activities

  • Implementation project on Family-Based Treatment for eating disorders
  • Pilot study – Omega 3 Fatty Acids as adjunctive treatment for adolescents with eating disorders

Publications

  • Kimber, M., McTavish, J. R., Couturier, J., Le Grange, D., Lock, J., & MacMillan, H. L. (2019). Identify and responding to child maltreatment when delivering family-based treatment-A qualitative study. International Journal of Eating Disorder, 52(3), 292-298.
  • Lock, J., Kraemer, H. C., Jo, B., & Couturier, J. (2019). When meta-analyses get it wrong: response to ‘treatment outcomes for anorexia nervosa: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials’. Psychological Medicine, 49(4), 697-698.
  • Pennell, A., Webb, C., Agar, P., Federici, A., & Couturier, J. (2019). Implementation of dialectical behavior therapy in a day hospital setting for adolescents with eating disorders. Journal of Canadian Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 28(1), 21-29.
  • Couturier, J., Dimitropoulos, G., &  MacMillan, H. (2019). Mandatory reporting of child maltreatment when delivering family-based treatment for eating disorders: A framework analysis of practitioner experiences. Child Abuse and Negligence, 118-128.
  • Couturier, J., Kimber, M., Barwick, M., Woodford, T., McVey, G., Findlay, S.,... Lock J. (2018). Themes arising during implementation consultation with teams applying family-based treatment: a qualitative study. Journal of Eating Disorders, 6, 32.
  • Norris, M. L., & Couturier, J. (2017). Establishing benefit of emotion-focused, carer-based interventions for adolescents with anorexia nervosa. Evidence based mental health, 21(1).
  • Couturier, J., Kimber, M., Jack, S., Niccols, S., Van Blyderveen, S., McVey, G. (2013).  Using a knowledge transfer framework to identify factors facilitating implementation of family-based treatment. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 11/2013.
  • Couturier, J., Kimber, M., Jack, S., Niccols, S., Van Blyderveen, S., McVey, G. (2013).  Understanding the uptake of family-based treatment for adolescents with anorexia nervosa: Therapist perspectives. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 46(2), 177-188.
  • Couturier, J., Kimber, M., Szatmari, P. (2012). Efficacy of family-based treatment for adolescents with eating disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis.  International Journal of Eating Disorders, 46(1), 3-11.

For further publications click here.

Contact Jennifer

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Research Interests

  • Pediatric eating disorders
  • Family therapy approaches
  • Implementation science

Education, Memberships & Certifications

  • M.D. – University of Western Ontario
  • M.Sc. – University of Western Ontario
  • FRCPC – Psychiatrist
  • Fellow of the Academy of Eating Disorders