“It's visible. It's in our streetcars and buses, our subways our streets, and it's hard to ignore.” Homelessness seems to be more prevalent now than ever before. But why? And is there a solution? Joining Dr. David Gratzer to explore the challenges and changes in the chronically homeless population over the years is Dr. Vicky Stergiopoulos, a former Physician-in-Chief of CAMH and an internationally recognized expert on chronic homelessness. During their conversation we learn about: The importance of providers who understand the realities of homelessness. The evolving substance use patterns amo ..read more

Textbooks, highlighters, and classrooms? The world of medical education is changing. Today, we have AI, sim, and e-learning. To talk about MedEd, Dr. David Gratzer sat down with returning guest Dr. Ivan Silver, former vice president of education at CAMH and vice dean of the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Medicine. During their conversation we learn: MedEd evolved from being under-valued to having entire centres built that are geared towards faculty development. Saying “yes” and taking risks can change your life. Dr. Silver’s thoughts on where a tool like ChatGPT may fit in your future pra ..read more

“We want to really be cautious because these are complex pieces of software “ Should we be using an AI-based tool like ChatGPT in practice? Is it ready? Are we? In this episode of Quick Takes, Dr. Gratzer speaks with returning guest Dr. John Torous about the impact tools like this could have on mental health care, both now and in the future. During their conversation we learn: ChatGPT is just one of many large language models available. Google Research is creating one specifically for medical education. It’s a good tool for psychoeducation and quick drug-drug interactions AI is already bei ..read more

On this episode of Quick Takes, Dr. Gratzer explores the increasing interest in coercive interventions across various jurisdictions. Joining him is journalist Anna Mehler Paperny who shares her personal experiences with involuntary hospitalization, highlighting the complex balance between patient rights and intervention. During this candid conversation we learn: the possible reasons for the resurgence of coercive care if the long-term risks associated with coercion outweigh the short-term benefits the importance of physicians to treat patients with respect and to recruit them as collaborators ..read more

“I’ll never forget when it happened.” Up to 80% of psychiatrists experience a suicide loss in their careers and a recent survey found that the majority of them felt caught off guard by the emotional impact it had on their lives. On this episode of Quick Takes, Dr. David Gratzer and his guest, Dr. Juveria Zaheer discuss the impact on psychiatrists of losing a patient to suicide. Throughout this thoughtful conversation we learn: losing a patient to suicide happens to up to 80% of psychiatrists. shock, grief, sadness, depression, anxiety, and guilt are all normal feelings when this happens. two ..read more

“It's not necessarily all sunshine and rainbows.” A major, new study in The New England Journal of Medicine considers psilocybin and its potential for refractory depression. It’s received enthusiastic media coverage. Breakthrough drug? Overhyped headlines? Today, on Quick Takes, Dr. David Gratzer is joined by one of the study co-authors, Dr. Ishrat Husain Tier 2 Canada Research Chair and lead of the Mood Disorder Service at CAMH, to delve deeper into this headline-grabbing research. During their discussion we learn: how to talk to your patients asking about using psilocybin therapeutically th ..read more

“We can create an environment that’s safe, predictable, consistent, standardized and reproducible.” To discuss how simulation is changing the world of med-ed, Dr. David Gratzer hosted Dr. Petal Abdool, Medical Director of the CAMH Simulation Centre, and Stephanie Sliekers, Manager of Simulation and Digital Innovation at CAMH. You’ll hear all about: • the new Simulation Centre at CAMH • VR courses already developed for suicide assessment • another VR project in the works for opioid overdose treatment • and the aspirations of the Centre to implement AI in future training. Follow us on Twitter ..read more

“It’s highly prevalent, highly available, highly pure and highly destructive.” In this episode of Quick Takes, Dr. David Gratzer speaks with Dr. David Castle, Director of the CAMH Centre for Complex Interventions, about the upwards trend in crystal methamphetamine use, its impact on health care visits and the risk of violence, the medication and psychological interventions available, and, yes, the Australian experience (no mention of digeridoos, however). You’ll learn a lot in this 28-minute episode, including: • why there's been that sharp rise in use here in Canada • its impact on emergency ..read more

“It’s an extraordinary program that literally helps hundreds of thousands of people a year.” During this discussion you will learn: • the incredible recovery rate of IAPT patients • the trackable outcomes are nearly 100% • how the program has become more equitable • and just they do with all the data the program collects. Follow us on Twitter ..read more

“We need to think about more than just the classic medical model borrowed from infectious disease: simple bug, simple drug.” Today’s conversation on Quick Takes between Dr. David Gratzer and former National Institute of Mental Health Director, Dr. Thomas Insel, delves into what’s right and what’s wrong with the current state of mental health care.   Some highlights of this conversation include: • acknowledgement that existing treatments work, but the system is not delivering care well. • treatment tends to focus on drug therapies for symptom reduction rather than on plans for long-term re ..read more