Quick Takes: A podcast by physicians, for physicians

“You don't actually need billions of dollars to prevent suicide. You just need really good coordination.”

Suicide prevention has come a long way since the SAD PERSONS acronym many of us learned in medical school. As research continues to evolve, how can we keep up—and thoughtfully incorporate newer considerations like media influence, pesticide availability, and even artificial intelligence?

On this episode of Quick Takes, I had the opportunity to discuss this topic with one of the world’s leading experts in this space, Dr. Mark Sinyor, professor at the University of Toronto, staff psychiatrist at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, and author of more than 150 papers. 

Together we learn:

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Quick Takes is a production of the Center for Addiction and Mental Health. You can find links to the relevant content mentioned in the show and accessible transcripts of all the episodes we produce online at CAMH.ca and on the CAMH Global Learning Academy.

Follow CAMH Education on X (formerly known as Twitter) @camhEdu

Follow and subscribe to Reading of the Week where, every week, Dr. David Gratzer reviews research papers from the world of psychiatry.

“Over time, my perspective on psychiatry has changed in the direction of greater skepticism."

What happens to your perspective after five decades in psychiatry—treating tens of thousands of patients, leading major institutions, and authoring dozens of books and papers?

On this episode of Quick Takes, I find out as I sit down with Dr. Joel Paris, former editor-in-chief of the Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, chair of the Department of Psychiatry at McGill University, and self‑proclaimed skeptic.

In this episode, Dr. Paris:

THANKS FOR LISTENING!

Quick Takes is a production of the Center for Addiction and Mental Health. You can find links to the relevant content mentioned in the show and accessible transcripts of all the episodes we produce online at CAMH.ca and on the CAMH Global Learning Academy.

Follow CAMH Education on X (formerly known as Twitter) @camhEdu

Follow and subscribe to Reading of the Week where, every week, Dr. David Gratzer reviews research papers from the world of psychiatry.

“Good systems just work. They don't need to be navigated.”

On this episode of Quick Takes, I spoke with Dr. Paul Kurdyak about how mental health care differs from other areas of the health system—especially when it comes to access, quality of care, and the need for a more structured and accountable approach.

Key takeaways from this episode:

• our mental health care system lacks coherence and access
• there are pockets of excellence in mental health care
• improving access requires structural changes
• a playbook to accomplish change already exists.

THANKS FOR LISTENING!

Quick Takes is a production of the Center for Addiction and Mental Health. You can find links to the relevant content mentioned in the show and accessible transcripts of all the episodes we produce online at CAMH.ca and on the CAMH Global Learning Academy.

Follow CAMH Education on X (formerly known as Twitter) @camhEdu

Follow and subscribe to Reading of the Week where, every week, Dr. David Gratzer reviews research papers from the world of psychiatry.

“The beating heart of the wellness industry is pseudoscience.”

With a few clicks of the mouse, our patients can read what we read – including the latest journals. But they also can access a world of half-truths, misleading claims, and falsehoods. On this episode of Quick Takes, I speak with Dr. Jonathan Stea, a University of Calgary psychologist and a bestselling author, about his research on the wellness industry.

In this episode you will learn about:

• the influence of the wellness industry in spreading misinformation
• the difficulties of confronting pseudoscience within therapeutic practices
• strategies for helping patients critically evaluate and navigate misinformation
• the impact of social media in amplifying misinformation

THANKS FOR LISTENING!

Quick Takes is a production of the Center for Addiction and Mental Health. You can find links to the relevant content mentioned in the show and accessible transcripts of all the episodes we produce online at CAMH.ca and on the CAMH Global Learning Academy.

Follow CAMH Education on X (formerly known as Twitter) @camhEdu

Follow and subscribe to Reading of the Week where, every week, Dr. David Gratzer reviews research papers from the world of psychiatry.

Celebrities use them; politicians discuss them; our patients ask about them. Are semaglutide and sister drugs game changers for those with mental health problems who struggle with obesity? To explore the opportunities and challenges of these new medications, on this episode of Quick Takes, I speak with Dr. Mahavir Agarwal (the medical head of CAMH’s Metabolic Clinic), Lisa Schaffer (executive director of Obesity Canada), and Dr. Sanjeev Sockalingam (the scientific director of Obesity Canada and, of course, CAMH’s CMO).

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• That 8 out of 10 patients taking antipsychotic medications will experience clinically significant weight gain
• How treating obesity in these patients can also improve other chronic conditions to which they are more vulnerable
• That some side effects of GLP-1 medications may limit access to treatments like electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)
• And about the emerging research using GLP-1s for alcohol and nicotine dependence

THANKS FOR LISTENING!

Quick Takes is a production of the Center for Addiction and Mental Health. You can find links to the relevant content mentioned in the show and accessible transcripts of all the episodes we produce online at CAMH.ca and on the CAMH Global Learning Academy.

Follow CAMH Education on X (formerly known as Twitter) @camhEdu

Follow and subscribe to Reading of the Week where, every week, Dr. David Gratzer reviews research papers from the world of psychiatry.

When we hear “innovations in mental healthcare,” we tend to think about apps or wearables. In today’s episode of Quick Takes – part of our series on innovation – I speak with Daisy Singla, a senior scientist at CAMH and our first womenmind™ scientist. Singla talks about her recent study that expanded access to psychotherapy for perinatal women, reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety by drawing a page from work done in low-income countries. The key concept: training up laypeople to deliver therapy.

Here’s what you’ll learn in this episode:

• How effective therapy delivered by non-specialists was for pregnant and postpartum participants
• The surprising impact the study had on trauma symptoms
• The role task-sharing and telemedicine played in the study
• And how a model used in Goa can scale up to help improve maternal mental healthcare in North America

THANKS FOR LISTENING!

Quick Takes is a production of the Center for Addiction and Mental Health. You can find links to the relevant content mentioned in the show and accessible transcripts of all the episodes we produce online at CAMH.ca and on the CAMH Global Learning Academy.

Follow CAMH Education on X (formerly known as Twitter) @camhEdu

Follow and subscribe to Reading of the Week where, every week, Dr. David Gratzer reviews research papers from the world of psychiatry.

Mindfulness, acupuncture, yoga. These were all once considered alternative treatments – favoured by some patients but lacking in evidence. Times have changed. Mindfulness, for instance, is a psychotherapy mentioned in the depression guidelines. What about yoga?

In today’s Quick Takes episode, I speak with Dr. Vanika Chawla, a psychiatrist, a registered yoga teacher, and an assistant professor at Stanford University, about her experience incorporating yoga into her practice.

Here’s what you’ll learn in this episode:

• Common misconceptions about yoga
• The three key components of yoga-based interventions
• The optimal duration, and frequency of yoga interventions for different diagnoses
• Recent research findings on yoga’s effectiveness

THANKS FOR LISTENING!

Quick Takes is a production of the Center for Addiction and Mental Health. You can find links to the relevant content mentioned in the show and accessible transcripts of all the episodes we produce online at CAMH.ca and on the CAMH Global Learning Academy.

Follow CAMH Education on X (formerly known as Twitter) @camhEdu

Follow and subscribe to Reading of the Week where, every week, Dr. David Gratzer reviews research papers from the world of psychiatry.

As doctors, we often shy away from discussing our health, especially our mental health — even with our own physicians. That’s unfortunate as doctors have a higher suicide rate than the general population, yet fears of vulnerability, judgment, and stigma keep many of us silent. In this episode of Quick Takes, Dr. Gratzer sat down with Dr. Joss Reimer, president of the Canadian Medical Association, who openly shares her own experiences with depression, as a doctor and as a patient.

In this episode, you will learn:

• About the importance of reaching out and getting help for mental health—whether it's a diagnosed illness or normal stress.
• What it’s like to have your mental health be front-page news.
• How Dr. Reimer would like to change the health care system.
• And what may be the best ice cream shop in the Canada.

THANKS FOR LISTENING!

Quick Takes is a production of the Center for Addiction and Mental Health. You can find links to the relevant content mentioned in the show and accessible transcripts of all the episodes we produce online at CAMH.ca and on the CAMH Global Learning Academy.

Follow CAMH Education on X (formerly known as Twitter) @camhEdu

Follow and subscribe to Reading of the Week where, every week, Dr. David Gratzer reviews research papers from the world of psychiatry.

When it comes to medical education, much has changed over the years—including its name. What was once known as Continuing Medical Education (CME) is now referred to as Continuing Professional Development (CPD). But the changes go far beyond a rebranding. After all, the sheer volume of journal articles available today is staggering. How can you keep up? How can technology help? In this episode Dr. Gratzer sat down with Dr. Sanjeev Sockalingam, CAMH’s VP Education and CMO, to explore the evolving world of CPD.

In this episode you will learn about:

• the impact of the pandemic on CPD
• the globalization of CPD
• the role of AI may play in content creation and evaluation
• and why hybrid conferences are likely here to stay.

THANKS FOR LISTENING!

Quick Takes is a production of the Center for Addiction and Mental Health. You can find links to the relevant content mentioned in the show and accessible transcripts of all the episodes we produce online at CAMH.ca and on the CAMH Global Learning Academy.

Follow CAMH Education on X (formerly known as Twitter) @camhEdu

Follow and subscribe to Reading of the Week where, every week, Dr. David Gratzer reviews research papers from the world of psychiatry.

What do you look for in a mentor? What qualities should you consider? And, more importantly, what exactly is a mentor?
To help answer these questions and discuss the role mentors play in the careers of physicians Dr. David Gratzer is joined by Dr. Suzanne Koven, a Harvard-affiliated physician and Writer-in-Residence at Massachusetts General, whose article, "What Is a Mentor?" was recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

In this episode you will learn:

• the distinction between coaching and mentoring
• the types of mentor relationships
• the importance of genuine empathy and firm ego boundaries in mentors
• how to find a good mentor.

THANKS FOR LISTENING!

Quick Takes is a production of the Center for Addiction and Mental Health. You can find links to the relevant content mentioned in the show and accessible transcripts of all the episodes we produce online at CAMH.ca and on the CAMH Global Learning Academy.

Follow CAMH Education on X (formerly known as Twitter) @camhEdu

Follow and subscribe to Reading of the Week where, every week, Dr. David Gratzer reviews research papers from the world of psychiatry.