Mind Full: The Canadian Psychological Association podcast

Cancel culture has been around for centuries, maybe for as long as human beings have been around. Today, though, it’s a lot more visible. It also (appears to be) a lot more pervasive than it ever has been before. Dr. Anne Wilson joins the Mind Full podcast to discuss this phenomenon, as well as the myriad of other ways in which our cultural divides get exacerbated.

Dr. Wilson's lab: https://www.annewilsonpsychlab.com/

Tale of two tweets (cancel culture left & right) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38084428/

Claims of censorship/forbidden knowledge

https://journals.sagepub.com/share/2UF7ABSWWNNYWXDKVPVM?target=10.1177/01461672241288332

Polarization in the current media / social media landscape

https://www.econstor.eu/handle/10419/334431

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352154620301078

Trust in media and polarization in COVID-19 masking/public health

https://compass.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/spc3.12794

Losing trust in previously trusted sources of information and the generalized decline in trust

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0321743

Van Bavel funhouse mirror paper

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39369456/

Sawaoka et al, The paradox of viral outrage (that people sympathize with bad behaviour when they see an internet pile-on)

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30091685/

As Canadians continue to struggle with high rates of mental illness and shortages of specialists such as psychologists, the CPA released the report “Increasing Access, Reducing Costs and Improving Outcomes: maximizing psychologists’ contributions to Canada’s publicly funded health care systems”. The report outlines five key strategies to help close critical gaps in access and ensure that those in need receive timely, cost-effective, evidence-based psychological care. Dr. Lesley Graff and Dr. Sean Kidd are two of the lead authors on the report, and they join the podcast to talk about the current state of the psychologist workforce in the healthcare system, and where we can go from here.

Full report: https://cpa.ca/docs/File/Advocacy/RandR%20WG%20Report%20EN%202026-Final-June-23-2026.pdf

Press release: https://cpa.ca/docs/File/Advocacy/CPA%20RRWG%20News%20Release%20Final%20May%2021%202026.pdf

England's NHS Talking Therapies: https://www.england.nhs.uk/mental-health/adults/nhs-talking-therapies/

Dr. David Dozois describes depression as the "common cold" of mental disorders, in that it is one of the most common, and that it can happen to people in all circumstances in all walks of life. But what to do when it’s not you, but your partner, who has depressive symptoms? Dr. Dozois joins Eric to talk about his new book "What to Do When Your Partner Is Depressed: Supporting Your Loved One While Caring for Yourself".

Find the book at Guilford Press: https://www.guilford.com/books/What-to-Do-When-Your-Partner-Is-Depressed/David-A-Dozois/9781462557554

Find the book and the Kindle version on Amazon: https://www.amazon.ca/What-When-Your-Partner-Depressed/dp/1462557554

There are significant gaps in the way our healthcare system deals with pain, especially for women. This gap in attention and care is particularly acute when it comes to women veterans. The Chronic Pain Centre of Excellence for Veterans and the Canadian Pain Society are working to raise awareness of the issue of a gender gap in pain treatment for veterans. On April 13th, they convened a first of its kind national roundtable, bringing together researchers, clinicians, funders, government, industry leaders, and women with lived experience. Dr. Patricia Poulin and Dr. Alice Aiken join the Mind Full podcast to talk about the roundtable, chronic pain, and the specific case of women veterans.

News release "National Action Urged to Address Chronic Pain Crisis Among Women and Women Veterans in Canada": https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2026/06/08/3308178/0/en/national-action-urged-to-address-chronic-pain-crisis-among-women-and-women-veterans-in-canada.html

Report "Women & Women Veterans: Advancing Women’s Health National Roundtable 2026": https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/69b5871f66aa32c42388e2d6/6a1f301a7b910a62e7e02667_CPCoE%20Roundtable%20Report_prefinalv2-compressed.pdf

Power Over Pain Portal: https://poweroverpain.ca/

Chronic Pain Centre of Excellence for Canadian Veterans: https://www.veteranschronicpain.ca/

Canadian Institute for Military and Veteran Health Research: https://cimvhr.ca/

Connected Care for Canadians Act: https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/news/2024/06/the-government-of-canada-introduces-the-connected-care-for-canadians-act-improving-patients-safety-and-access-to-their-health-information.html

BILL S-243 - An Act to establish a national framework for women’s health in Canada: https://www.parl.ca/DocumentViewer/en/45-1/bill/S-243/first-reading

For a long time - decades, maybe even centuries - we have been led to believe that there is a correlation between artistic genius and serious mental health issues. Certain painters, composers, and musicians have been mythologized for their mental health struggles as well as for the art they produce. One of the biggest problems with perpetuating this myth is that young artists today often internalize it, preventing them from seeking help when they may need it most.

Florence Khoriaty is a psychology student who recently presented her research on this subject at the CPA's 2026 convention in Montréal. She is also a well-known singer-songwriter, radio presenter, and artist who speaks from a wealth of personal experience.

Soundcheck: Mental Health in the Canadian Music Industry – National Report

https://www.revelios.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Soundcheck-Final-Report-1.pdf

C'est formidable! with Florence K

https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-214-c-est-formidable

"We did NOT disprove ghosts!"

Today on Mind Full, we are speaking with Dr. Rodney Schmaltz, who recently had a study he led at MacEwan University go somewhat viral. People do love the paranormal! Dr. Schmaltz talks about the whirlwind that comes with having a study suddenly catch the attention of the public, and about the study itself. You know how sometimes you get a creepy, hair-on-the-back-of-your-neck feeling in some older buildings? It may not be ghosts - it may be infrasound!

Infrasound exposure is linked to aversive responding, negative appraisal, and elevated salivary cortisol in humans: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/behavioral-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnbeh.2026.1729876/full?ref=404media.co

Dr. Schmaltz on Quirks & Quarks: Do old buildings give you the creeps? New research could explain haunted feelings https://www.cbc.ca/radio/quirks/infrasound-paranormal-9.7209127

In The Guardian: Spooky feelings in old houses may be caused by boiler sounds, study suggests https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/apr/27/spooky-feelings-in-old-houses-may-be-caused-by-boiler-sounds-study-suggests

The "glass cliff" is a term that refers to people who get promoted to leadership roles – with a catch. Women and minorities get promoted to top roles, but only in circumstances where the organization is in dire straits or in crisis, setting them up to fail. Dr. Mel Rutherford took on one of those glass cliff roles – and, against long odds, found a way to not only succeed in the position, but to thrive.

The Glass Cliff: One Transman's Leadership Odyssey: https://www.wiley.com/en-us/shop/psychology-general/the-glass-cliff-one-transman's-leadership-odyssey-p-9781394368679

Psychologists play an important role in the care of all kinds of medical conditions. Sheila Garland joins the Mind Full podcast to talk about her role in helping people going through cancer treatment. She highlights the importance of having trained mental health professionals in as many healthcare settings as possible.

We often think of gender-based violence as something rather cut-and-dried, a view which often leads to a lot of stigma, and the expression of sentiments like “why doesn’t she just leave”. In reality, the situation is a lot more complex and nuanced, especially in rural settings where just leaving may not be an option. Keely Horan and Andrea Chantree from the Family Transition Place women's shelter in Dufferin County focus not on "domestic violence" per se, but on "unhealthy relationships" writ large.

Family Transition Place: https://familytransitionplace.ca/

Our language is constantly shifting and evolving. Turns of phrase that would have been foreign to our parents are commonplace for us, and our kids have a language all their own that will one day be the way everyone speaks. The same is true for the ways we communicate. Internet shorthand is now familiar to most of us, and most of us use emojis in our texts and correspondence. It’s the emojis we’re talking about today. Dr. Erin Leigh Courtice conducted a study on emoji use in the workplace, and Dr. Karen Blair found some gender-related data in that study to be particularly interesting.

Dr. Blair’s article in Psychology Today: The Real Reason Emojis Get Judged at Work

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/inclusive-insight/202604/the-real-reason-emojis-get-judged-at-work

Ottawa U article: Should emojis be used in workplace communications?

https://www.uottawa.ca/about-us/news-all/should-emojis-be-used-workplace-communications

The impossible balance:

https://klb-research.github.io/tightrope/

Dr. Courtice's study: https://online.ucpress.edu/collabra/article/12/1/147309/217078/Emojis-at-Work-The-Effects-of-Emoji-Use-on

The Riordan & Glickson study mentioned by Dr. Courtice: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2329488420971690?casa_token=9CETIqfPeVkAAAAA%3Ahm8Al3ORC_TtBA886e7WoNw7-93-cUTtMv0QIM6ANFtXUbTEIq-4edGwGu8q7sxf3jIftp4HYVawpw