Welcome to PsychEd, the psychiatry podcast for medical learners, by medical learners.
This episode covers Functional Neurological Disorder with Dr. Patricia Rosebush. Dr. Rosebush is a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioural Neurosciences at McMaster University. She is the distinguished author of numerous articles on clinical neuroscience, including considerable work on mitochondrial disorders in mental illness and over 30 papers on catatonia, and practices consultation-liaison psychiatry at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton.
The learning objectives for this episode are as follows:
Provide a definition and conceptual approach to FND
Identify clinical signs and patient histories relevant to a diagnosis of FND
Describe an approach to the treatment of FND
Understand the special challenges of communication and collaboration in this illness
Guest: Dr. Patricia Rosebush
Hosts: Dr. Alastair Morrison, Dr. Kate Braithwaite
Audio editing: Dr. Alastair Morrison
Show notes: Dr. Kate Braithwaite
Interview content:
(02:39) Learning objectives
(03:09) Conceptualization of FND
(08:30) Underlying psychological processes
(09:35) Difference between FND and factitious disorder/malingering
(14:54) Alexithymia
(16:51) Common symptomatic presentations
(18:00) Types of underlying stressors
(19:17) Other risk factors for FND
(22:12) Communicating with patients to address stigma
(24:32) Psychotherapy in FND
(29:36) Referral pathways for patients with FND
(31:15) Prognosis of FND
(33:09) Social media and FND
Resources:
Functional Neurological Disorder Society. Functional Neurological Disorder Society (FNDS). Includes a podcast and courses for physicians
Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) – A Patient's Guide to FND
References:
Hull, M., & Parnes, M. (2021). Tics and TikTok: Functional Tics Spread Through Social Media. Movement disorders clinical practice, 8(8), 1248–1252. https://doi.org/10.1002/mdc3.13267
National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke. (2024, July.) Functional Neurological Disorder. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health. Functional Neurologic Disorder | National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
PsychDB. (2024, April). Conversion Disorder (Functional Neurological Disorder. Conversion Disorder (Functional Neurological Disorder) - PsychDB
Rosebush, P. I., & Mazurek, M. F. (2011). Treatment of conversion disorder in the 21st century: have we moved beyond the couch?. Current treatment options in neurology, 13(3), 255–266. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11940-011-0124-y
Scamvougeras, A., & Castle, D. (2024). Functional Neurological Disorders: Challenging the Mainstream Agnostic Causative Position. Canadian journal of psychiatry. Revue canadienne de psychiatrie, 69(7), 487–492. https://doi.org/10.1177/07067437241245957
For more PsychEd, follow us on Instagram (@psyched.podcast), Facebook (PsychEd Podcast), X (@psychedpodcast), and Bluesky (@psychedpodcast.bsky.social). You can email us at psychedpodcast@gmail.com and visit our website at psychedpodcast.org.
Welcome to PsychEd, the psychiatry podcast for medical learners, by medical learners. This episode covers metabolic monitoring for patients on antipsychotic medications.
Hosts: Grant Yao (MS4) and Dr. Angad Singh (PGY2)
Audio editing: Dr. Angad Singh (PGY2)
Timestamps:
(0:21) - Background
(2:22) - Monitoring for metabolic side effects
(6:16) - Managing metabolic side effects
(9:50) - Summary
References:
Agarwal, S. M., Stogios, N., Faulkner, G. E., & Hahn, M. (2023). Pharmacological interventions for the prevention of antipsychotic-induced weight gain in people with schizophrenia: A Cochrane systematic review and meta-analysis. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 49(4), 833-835.
Carolan, A., Hynes-Ryan, C., Agarwal, S. M., Bourke, R., Cullen, W., Gaughran, F., ... & O’Donoghue, B. (2024). Metformin for the prevention of antipsychotic-induced weight gain: guideline development and consensus validation. Schizophrenia bulletin, sbae205.
Cooper, S. J., Reynolds, G. P., With expert co-authors (in alphabetical order):, Barnes, T. R. E., England, E., Haddad, P. M., ... & Smith, J. (2016). BAP guidelines on the management of weight gain, metabolic disturbances and cardiovascular risk associated with psychosis and antipsychotic drug treatment. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 30(8), 717-748.
DeJongh, B. M. (2021). Clinical pearls for the monitoring and treatment of antipsychotic induced metabolic syndrome. Mental Health Clinician, 11(6), 311-319.
Stogios, N., Humber, B., Agarwal, S. M., & Hahn, M. (2023). Antipsychotic-induced weight gain in severe mental illness: risk factors and special considerations. Current Psychiatry Reports, 25(11), 707-721.
For more PsychEd, follow us on Instagram (@psyched.podcast), Facebook (PsychEd Podcast), X (@psychedpodcast), and Bluesky (@psychedpodcast.bsky.social). You can email us at psychedpodcast@gmail.com and visit our website at psychedpodcast.org.
Welcome to PsychEd, the psychiatry podcast for medical learners, by medical learners.
This episode is part of the PsychEd Book Club, a forum where we discuss books of interest to psychiatry learners from a variety of disciplines. We invite you to read along with us and contribute to our discussion.
This short introductory episode gives you a heads-up about our upcoming book club on Healing: Our Path from Mental Illness to Mental Health by Thomas Insel. Stay tuned for a longer episode in a few months where we’ll share our thoughts on the book.
If you’d like to share your thoughts or questions about the book, email us at psychedpodcast@gmail.com or reach out on social media.
Hosts: Dr. Kate Braithwaite, Dr. Sophie Gregoire-Mitha, Dr. Gaurav Sharma
Audio editing by: Dr. Gaurav Sharma
For more PsychEd, follow us on Instagram (@psyched.podcast), Facebook (PsychEd Podcast), X (@psychedpodcast), and Bluesky (@psychedpodcast.bsky.social). You can email us at psychedpodcast@gmail.com and visit our website at psychedpodcast.org.
Welcome to PsychEd, the psychiatry podcast for medical learners, by medical learners. This episode covers goals of care conversations.
Our guest for this episode is Dr. Tavis Apramian, a clinician-investigator in the Department of Family & Community Medicine (DFCM) at the University of Toronto and scientist in the Office of Education Scholarship. He works as a palliative care physician at St. Michael’s Hospital and at Kensington Hospice. His largely qualitative program of research is focused on advance care planning; workplace-based learning and assessment; palliative care in family medicine; medical assistance in dying; and inequity in end-of-life care. His primary focus is on telling rich stories of learner and patient experiences to spark conversation about socioculturally complex educational and clinical problems in serious illness.
The learning objectives for this episode are as follows:
Describe a palliative approach to care and its relevance across different contexts
Demonstrate a structured and compassionate approach to goals of care conversations
Apply effective communication strategies to build therapeutic alliance, navigate difficult conversations, and involve multiple actors in the palliative context
Recognize and manage challenges in goals of care conversations
Guest: Dr. Tavis Apramian
Hosts: Dr. Daamoon Ghahari (PGY2) and Dr. Angad Singh (PGY2)
Audio editing: Dr. Angad Singh (PGY2)
Timestamps:
(1:07) - Journey to palliative care
(5:07) - What is palliative care
(14:47) - Understanding patient values
(33:47) - Structuring goals of care conversations
(44:16) - Communication strategies
(57:05) - Navigating family meetings
(77:25) - Reflections on MAiD for sole mental illness
Resources:
Roth, H. (2024). Hearing the unspoken. Canadian Family Physician, 70(10), 642-642. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11477260/pdf/0700642.pdf
References:
Bernacki, R. E., & Block, S. D. (2014). Communication about serious illness care goals: a review and synthesis of best practices. JAMA internal medicine, 174(12), 1994-2003.
Gross, J., & Koffman, J. (2024). Examining how goals of care communication are conducted between doctors and patients with severe acute illness in hospital settings: A realist systematic review. PLoS One, 19(3), e0299933.
Scheunemann, L. P., Ernecoff, N. C., Buddadhumaruk, P., Carson, S. S., Hough, C. L., Curtis, J. R., ... & White, D. B. (2019). Clinician-family communication about patients’ values and preferences in intensive care units. JAMA internal medicine, 179(5), 676-684.
You, J. J., Downar, J., Fowler, R. A., Lamontagne, F., Ma, I. W., Jayaraman, D., ... & Canadian Researchers at the End of Life Network (CARENET). (2015). Barriers to goals of care discussions with seriously ill hospitalized patients and their families: a multicenter survey of clinicians. JAMA Internal Medicine, 175(4), 549-556.
For more PsychEd, follow us on Instagram (@psyched.podcast), Facebook (PsychEd Podcast), X (@psychedpodcast), and Bluesky (@psychedpodcast.bsky.social). You can email us at psychedpodcast@gmail.com and visit our website at psychedpodcast.org.
Welcome to PsychEd, the psychiatry podcast for medical learners, by medical learners. This short episode covers the basics of electroconvulsive therapy.
Hosts: Ravi Bhindi (CC3), Dr. Angad Singh (PGY2)
Audio Editing: Dr. Angad Singh (PGY2)
Show Notes: Dr. Angad Singh (PGY2)
Time Stamps:
(0:36) - What is ECT?
(2:18) - Indications and efficacy
(4:35) - Treatment course
(4:32) - Combination treatment
(6:33) - Medications to discontinue
(8:16) - Contraindications
(9:40) - Side effects
(11:52) - Procedure
(16:03) - Summary
Resources:
References:
Andrade, C., Arumugham, S. S., & Thirthalli, J. (2016). Adverse Effects of Electroconvulsive Therapy. The Psychiatric clinics of North America, 39(3), 513–530.
Brakemeier, E. L., Merkl, A., Wilbertz, G., Quante, A., Regen, F., Bührsch, N., van Hall, F., Kischkel, E., Danker-Hopfe, H., Anghelescu, I., Heuser, I., Kathmann, N., & Bajbouj, M. (2014). Cognitive-behavioral therapy as continuation treatment to sustain response after electroconvulsive therapy in depression: a randomized controlled trial. Biological psychiatry, 76(3), 194–202.
Espinoza, R. T., & Kellner, C. H. (2022). Electroconvulsive therapy. New England Journal of Medicine, 386(7), 667-672.
Gill, S., Hussain, S., Purushothaman, S., Sarma, S., Weiss, A., Chamoli, S., ... & Loo, C. K. (2023). Prescribing electroconvulsive therapy for depression: Not as simple as it used to be. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 57(9), 1202-1207.
Janjua, A. U., Dhingra, A. L., Greenberg, R., & McDonald, W. M. (2020). The efficacy and safety of concomitant psychotropic medication and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). CNS Drugs, 34(5), 509-520.
Jelovac, A., Kolshus, E., & McLoughlin, D. M. (2013). Relapse following successful electroconvulsive therapy for major depression: a meta-analysis. Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, 38(12), 2467–2474.
Kolshus, E., Jelovac, A., & McLoughlin, D. M. (2017). Bitemporal v. high-dose right unilateral electroconvulsive therapy for depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Psychological Medicine, 47(3), 518-530.
Lam, R. W., Kennedy, S. H., Adams, C., Bahji, A., Beaulieu, S., Bhat, V., ... & Milev, R. V. (2024). Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatments (CANMAT) 2023 Update on Clinical Guidelines for Management of Major Depressive Disorder in Adults: Réseau canadien pour les traitements de l'humeur et de l'anxiété (CANMAT) 2023: Mise à jour des lignes directrices cliniques pour la prise en charge du trouble dépressif majeur chez les adultes. The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 69(9), 641-687.
Luchini, F., Medda, P., Mariani, M. G., Mauri, M., Toni, C., & Perugi, G. (2015). Electroconvulsive therapy in catatonic patients: Efficacy and predictors of response. World journal of psychiatry, 5(2), 182–192.
Tess, A. V., & Smetana, G. W. (2009). Medical evaluation of patients undergoing electroconvulsive therapy. New England Journal of Medicine, 360(14), 1437-1444.
Zolezzi M. (2016). Medication management during electroconvulsant therapy. Neuropsychiatric disease and treatment, 12, 931–939.
For more PsychEd, follow us on Instagram (@psyched.podcast), Facebook (PsychEd Podcast), X (@psychedpodcast), and Bluesky (@psychedpodcast.bsky.social). You can email us at psychedpodcast@gmail.com and visit our website at psychedpodcast.org.
Welcome to PsychEd, the psychiatry podcast for medical learners, by medical learners. This episode covers exercise as a treatment for depression.
Our guest for this episode is Dr. Nicholas Fabiano, a third-year psychiatry resident at the University of Ottawa. His research focuses on the overlap between mental and physical health, particularly lifestyle measures that can be used to improve mental health, including exercise, diet, and sleep.
The learning objectives for this episode are as follows:
Understand the evidence supporting the antidepressant effects of exercise
Explore the mechanisms underlying the benefits of exercise
Learn how to prescribe exercise as a treatment for depression
Identify the risks and caveats of prescribing exercise for depression
Guest: Dr. Nicholas Fabiano (PGY3)
Hosts: Dr. Wendy MacMillan-Wang (PGY4) and Dr. Angad Singh (PGY1)
Audio Editing: Dr. Angad Singh (PGY1)
Timestamps:
(2:55) Origins of the interest in exercise
(6:22) Evidence of antidepressant effects
(14:05) Considerations in special populations
(18:00) Overlap of mental and physical health
(20:37) Mechanism of action
(26:18) Exercise prescription
(33:10) Exercise as addiction and self-harm
(36:42) Counselling and mitigating harm
(39:30) Combining with other lifestyle interventions
(41:41) Evidence for other mental illnesses
References:
Fabiano N, Gupta A, Fiedorowicz JG, Firth J, Stubbs B, Vancampfort D, Schuch FB, Carr LJ, Solmi M. The effect of exercise on suicidal ideation and behaviors: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Journal of affective disorders. 2023 Jun 1;330:355-66.
Fabiano, N., Puder, D., & Stubbs, B. (2024). The evidence is clear, exercise is not better than antidepressants or therapy: it is crucial to communicate science honestly. Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 1(aop), 1-2.
Heissel, A., Heinen, D., Brokmeier, L. L., Skarabis, N., Kangas, M., Vancampfort, D., ... & Schuch, F. (2023). Exercise as medicine for depressive symptoms? A systematic review and meta-analysis with meta-regression. British journal of sports medicine, 57(16), 1049-1057.
Hird, E. J., Slanina-Davies, A., Lewis, G., Hamer, M., & Roiser, J. P. (2024). From movement to motivation: a proposed framework to understand the antidepressant effect of exercise. Translational Psychiatry, 14(1), 273.
Verhoeven, J. E., Han, L. K., Lever-van Milligen, B. A., Hu, M. X., Révész, D., Hoogendoorn, A. W., ... & Penninx, B. W. (2023). Antidepressants or running therapy: Comparing effects on mental and physical health in patients with depression and anxiety disorders. Journal of affective disorders, 329, 19-29.
For more PsychEd, follow us on Instagram (@psyched.podcast), Facebook (PsychEd Podcast), X (@psychedpodcast), and Bluesky (@psychedpodcast.bsky.social). You can email us at psychedpodcast@gmail.com and visit our website at psychedpodcast.org.
Welcome to PsychEd, the psychiatry podcast for medical learners, by medical learners. This short episode covers the mental status exam.
Hosts: Dr. Matthew Cho (PGY1) and Dr. Angad Singh (PGY2)
Audio editing: Dr. Angad Singh (PGY2)
Episode Evaluation: Shelly Palchik (MS4)
Timestamps:
(0:20) Basics of the mental status exam
(2:05) Appearance
(4:00) Behaviour
(5:00) Cooperation
(6:20) Speech
(7:18) Emotions
(9:12) Perception
(10:15) Thought process
(12:35) Thought content
(13:28) Insight
(14:10) Judgement
(14:46) Cognition
Reference:
Donnelly, J., Rosenberg, M., & Fleeson, W. P. (1970). The evolution of the mental status—past and future. American Journal of Psychiatry, 126(7), 997-1002.
Folstein, M. F., Folstein, S. E., & McHugh, P. R. (1975). “Mini-mental state”: a practical method for grading the cognitive state of patients for the clinician. Journal of psychiatric research, 12(3), 189-198.
Norris, D. R., Clark, M. S., & Shipley, S. (2016). The mental status examination. American family physician, 94(8), 635-641.
PsychDB. (2024, Jan 18). Mental Status Exam. https://www.psychdb.com/teaching/mental-status-exam-mse
Voss, R., & Das, J. (2024). Mental status examination. StatPearls.
If you want to learn more about the mental status exam, check out our longer episode about this topic: https://www.psychedpodcast.org/blog/mse
For more PsychEd, follow us on Instagram (@psyched.podcast), Facebook (PsychEd Podcast), X (@psychedpodcast), and Bluesky (@psychedpodcast.bsky.social). You can email us at psychedpodcast@gmail.com and visit our website at psychedpodcast.org.
Welcome to PsychEd, the psychiatry podcast for medical learners, by medical learners.
This episode covers South Asian mental health with Dr. Farooq Naeem, a senior scientist with the Institute for Mental Health Policy Research and a psychiatrist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. He is also a professor of psychiatry at the University of Toronto.
Dr. Naeem pioneered techniques for culturally adapting CBT. These techniques have been used to adapt CBT in South Asia, North Africa, Middle East, Kenya and China. His research areas include CBT, psychosis, and culture, with an overall aim to improve access to CBT. He has also published on issues related to health services and quality improvement. He works with a team of IT experts and has developed a CBT-based therapy program — called eGuru — that can be delivered through web and smartphone apps.
The learning objectives for this episode are as follows:
By the end of this episode, you should be able to…
Recognize the unique mental health challenges and barriers faced by South Asian communities
Understand how cultural nuances shape mental health presentations and assessments
Describe culturally adapted CBT and its benefits for South Asian patients
Identify initiatives and future directions in transcultural psychiatry for South Asians
Guest: Dr. Farooq Naeem
Hosts: Hira Ahmad, Gurvir Rai, Nikhita Singhal
Audio editing by: Nikhita Singhal
Show notes by: Nikhita Singhal
Resources:
PsychEd Episode 29: Cultural Psychiatry with Dr. Eric Jarvis
Culturally Adapted Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Canadians of South Asian Origin
References:
Gadalla, T.M. (2010). Ethnicity and seeking treatment for depression: a Canadian national study. Canadian Ethnic Studies 41(3), 233-245. https://doi.org/10.1353/ces.2010.0042
Karasz, A., Gany, F., Escobar, J., Flores, C., Prasad, L., Inman, A., Kalasapudi, V., Kosi, R., Murthy, M., Leng, J., & Diwan, S. (2019). Mental health and stress among South Asians. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health, 21(S1), 7–14. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-018-0790-4
Kumar, A., & Nevid, J. S. (2010). Acculturation, enculturation, and perceptions of mental disorders in Asian Indian immigrants. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 16(2), 274–283. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0018352
Lai, D. W. L., & Surood, S. (2008). Socio-cultural variations in depressive symptoms of ageing South Asian Canadians. Asian Journal of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 3(2), 84-91.
Leung, P., Cheung, M., & Tsui, V. (2011). Asian Indians and depressive symptoms: Reframing mental health help -seeking behavior. International Social Work, 55(1), 53–70. https://doi.org/10.1177/0020872810372801
Masood, N., Okazaki, S., & Takeuchi, D. T. (2009). Gender, family, and community correlates of mental health in South Asian Americans. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 15(3), 265–274. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0014301
Vakil, K., Desse, T. A., Manias, E., Alzubaidi, H., Rasmussen, B., Holton, S., & McNamara, K. P. (2023). Patient-centered care experiences of first-generation, South Asian migrants with chronic diseases living in high-income, Western countries: systematic review. Patient Preference and Adherence, 17, 281–298. https://doi.org/10.2147/PPA.S391340
For more PsychEd, follow us on Instagram (@psyched.podcast), Facebook (PsychEd Podcast), X (@psychedpodcast), and Bluesky (@psychedpodcast.bsky.social). You can email us at psychedpodcast@gmail.com and visit our website at psychedpodcast.org.
Welcome to PsychEd, the psychiatry podcast for medical learners, by medical learners.
This short episode is about an approach to patients with psychotic symptoms.
Hosts: Ravi Bhindi (CC3), Dr. Angad Singh (PGY2)
Audio editing: Dr. Angad Singh (PGY2)
Show notes: Dr. Angad Singh (PGY2)
Infographic: Dr. Kate Braithwaite
References:
Griswold, K. S., Del Regno, P. A., & Berger, R. C. (2015). Recognition and differential diagnosis of psychosis in primary care. American family physician, 91(12), 856-863.
Hua, L. L., Alderman, E. M., Chung, R. J., Grubb, L. K., Lee, J., Powers, M. E., ... & Wallace, S. B. (2021). Collaborative care in the identification and management of psychosis in adolescents and young adults. Pediatrics, 147(6), e2021051486.
Lieberman, J. A., & First, M. B. (2018). Psychotic disorders. New England Journal of Medicine, 379(3), 270-280.
PsychDB. (2021, Jan 15). Psychotic Disorders. Retrieved July 15, 2025, from https://www.psychdb.com/psychosis/home
PsychDB. (2022, Jan 26). Psychotic Depression. Retrieved July 15, 2025, from https://www.psychdb.com/mood/1-depression/psychotic
PsychDB. (2021, Jan 15). Psychotic Disorders. Retrieved July 15, 2025, from https://www.psychdb.com/psychosis/home
Resources:
https://www.camh.ca/en/health-info/mental-illness-and-addiction-index/psychosis
https://www.earlypsychosis.ca/symptoms-of-psychosis/
For more PsychEd, follow us on Instagram (@psyched.podcast), Facebook (PsychEd Podcast), and X (@psychedpodcast). You can email us at psychedpodcast@gmail.com and visit our website at psychedpodcast.org.
Welcome to PsychEd, the psychiatry podcast for medical learners, by medical learners.
This episode covers catatonia with Dr. Patricia Rosebush. Dr. Rosebush is a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioural Neurosciences at McMaster University. She is the distinguished author of numerous articles on clinical neuroscience, including considerable work on mitochondrial disorders in mental illness and over 30 papers on catatonia, and practices consultation-liaison psychiatry at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton.
The learning objectives for this episode are as follows:
By the end of this episode, the listener will be able to…
1. Develop a conceptual understanding of catatonia
2. Have an approach for diagnosing catatonia
3. Have an approach for treating catatonia
Guest: Dr. Patricia Rosebush
Hosts: Dr. Alastair Morrison (PGY1), Dr. Angad Singh (PGY1)
Audio editing: Dr. Angad Singh
Show notes: Dr. Alastair Morrison
Interview content:
(01:20) Clinical features of catatonia (high level overview)
(04:15) Clinical anecdote - an index case of catatonia
(06:00) History of approaches to catatonia
(10:00) Approach to different catatonia phenotypes
(15:00) Categorization and ideas of mechanism
(18:00) Assessing clinical signs of catatonia
(24:00) Preserved awareness in catatonia
(27:00) Investigations and differential diagnosis
(30:00) First interventions: benzodiazepines and benzodiazepine withdrawal
(41:30) Managing medical considerations in catatonia
(45:00) Treating other psychiatric illnesses in the catatonic patient
(49:00) Acute, chronic, and refractory treatments
References:
For more PsychEd, follow us on Instagram (@psyched.podcast), Facebook (PsychEd Podcast), X (@psychedpodcast), and Bluesky (@psychedpodcast.bsky.social). You can email us at psychedpodcast@gmail.com and visit our website at psychedpodcast.org.
Welcome to PsychEd, the psychiatry podcast for medical learners, by medical learners. This short episode is about counselling patients on antidepressant medications.
Hosts: Matthew Cho and Angad Singh
Audio editing: Angad Singh
Time Stamps:
2:03 - Steps to antidepressant counselling
7:31 - Frequently asked questions about antidepressants
Related Episodes:
PsychEd Episode 1: Diagnosis of Depression with Dr. Ilana Shawn
PsychEd Episode 2: Treatment of Depression with Dr. Sidney Kennedy
PsychEd Episode 58: Depression in Children and Adolescents with Dr. Darren Courtney
Patient Education:
UpToDate resource on ‘Medicines for Depression’: https://www.uptodate.com/contents/medicines-for-depression-the-basics
CAMH resource on ‘Antidepressant Medications’:
https://www.camh.ca/en/health-info/mental-illness-and-addiction-index/antidepressant-medications
Kelty Mental Health resource on ‘Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors’: https://keltymentalhealth.ca/sites/default/files/resources/SSRI_MedicationSheet2022.pdf,
References:
PsychDB. (2024, January 11). Introduction to Antidepressants. https://www.psychdb.com/meds/antidepressants/home
Lam RW, Kennedy SH, Adams C, Bahji A, Beaulieu S, Bhat V, Blier P, Blumberger DM, Brietzke E, Chakrabarty T, Do A. Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatments (CANMAT) 2023 Update on Clinical Guidelines for Management of Major Depressive Disorder in Adults: Réseau canadien pour les traitements de l'humeur et de l'anxiété (CANMAT) 2023: Mise à jour des lignes directrices cliniques pour la prise en charge du trouble dépressif majeur chez les adultes. The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry. 2024 Sep;69(9):641-87.
Contact:
For more about PsychEd follow us on Instagram (@psyched.podcast), Facebook (PsychEd Podcast), and X (@psychedpodcast). You can email us at psychedpodcast@gmail.com and visit our website at psychedpodcast.org.
Welcome to PsychEd, the psychiatry podcast for medical learners, by medical learners. This is our inaugural book club episode centered around the novel Mind Fixers by Anne Harrington.
Mind Fixers is by the Harvard historian Anne Harrington, and came out from Norton in 2022. It reframes the “biological turn” in later twentieth century psychiatry with a history of the discipline from the later nineteenth century forward. Harrington argues that the biological turn had relatively little to do with new scientific advances, and came instead from a need to separate psychiatry from the increasingly unpopular public image of the discipline’s previous, “Freudian” age.
To make this argument, she starts with the anatomic research of turn-of-the-century figures like Kraepelin, and how this generally failed to explain important mental illnesses. She traces the emergence of “Freudian” or psychological approaches to mental illness to the high point of their dominance in the mid twentieth century, and then their decline, as their inadequacy with respect to things like bipolar disorder and schizophrenia became increasingly clear, and their emphasis on childhood experience stigmatized families. Biological psychiatry is then a way to restore the fields’s respectability as as branch of medicine, but according to Harrington, there is not much transformative innovation to go along with this rebrand; and she emphasizes that the psychopharmacology revolution which gave us the first antipsychotics, MAOIS, tricyclics, and the receptor model of mental illness, actually happened during the heyday of psychoanalysis.
The members of our team involved in this discussion are:
Sara Abrahamson - MS2 at the University of Toronto
Dr. Kate Braithwaite - Medical Doctor from South Africa
Dr. Wendy MacMillan-Wang - PGY4 psychiatry resident at the University of Manitoba
Dr. Alastair Morrison - PGY1 psychiatry resident at McMaster University
Dr. Gaurav Sharma - Staff psychiatrist working in Nunavut, Canada
This episode was edited by Dr. Angad Singh - PGY1 psychiatry resident at the University of Toronto
Our discussion was structured around four themes:
(03:15) - Psychiatry and Economic Incentives
(19:33) - Psychiatry and Parenting
(28:40) - Biological Psychiatry and its Alternatives
(52:05) - Psychiatry and Social Control
If you enjoyed this episode, consider listening to our episodes about:
History of Psychiatry with Dr. David Castle
Critical Psychiatry with Dr. Elia Abi-Jaoude and Lucy Costa
For more PsychEd, follow us on Instagram (@psyched.podcast), X (@psychedpodcast), and Facebook (PsychEd Podcast). You can provide feedback by email at psychedpodcast@gmail.com. For more information, visit our website at psychedpodcast.org.
Welcome to PsychEd, the psychiatry podcast for medical learners, by medical learners.
This primer covers the differential diagnosis of dementia.
Hosts: Dr. Alastair Morrison (PGY-1) and Dr. Angad Singh (PGY-1)
Audio editing by: Dr. Angad Singh (PGY-1)
Resources:
References:
For more PsychEd, follow us on Instagram (@psyched.podcast), Facebook (PsychEd Podcast), and X (@psychedpodcast). You can email us at psychedpodcast@gmail.com and visit our website at psychedpodcast.org.
Welcome to PsychEd, the psychiatry podcast for medical learners, by medical learners.
This episode covers ADHD in youth with Dr. Daniel Gorman, an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto and a Staff Psychiatrist at The Hospital for Sick Children. Dr Gorman’s clinical and academic interests include ADHD, Tourette syndrome, obsessive-compulsive disorder, child psychopharmacology, psychiatric education, and narrative medicine. He is highly involved in resident teaching and clinical supervision, and from 2014 to 2022 he was the Program Director for the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry subspecialty program at the University of Toronto.
Dr. Gorman has given over 85 invited presentations and authored or co-authored over 35 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, mainly related to childhood neuropsychiatric disorders and their pharmacological management. He also contributed to several Canadian guidelines, including guidelines on cardiac risk assessment before the use of stimulants, management of tic disorders, pharmacotherapy for childhood disruptive and aggressive behaviour, and pharmacogenetic testing for children treated with psychiatric medications.
The learning objectives for this episode are as follows:
By the end of this episode, the listener will be able to…
Guest: Dr. Daniel Gorman
Hosts: Dr. Kate Braithwaite, Dr. Shaoyuan Wang (PGY-4), Matthew Cho (MS-4)
Audio editing by: Dr. Angad Singh (PGY-1)
Resources:
References:
For more PsychEd, follow us on Instagram (@psyched.podcast), X (@psychedpodcast), and Facebook (PsychEd Podcast). You can provide feedback by email at psychedpodcast@gmail.com. For more information, visit our website at psychedpodcast.org.
Welcome to PsychEd, the psychiatry podcast for medical learners, by medical learners.
This episode covers psychotherapy in youth with Dr. Laurence Katz, a professor of child and adolescent psychiatry at the University of Manitoba. Dr. Katz received his medical and adult psychiatric training at the University of Manitoba and his child and adolescent psychiatry training at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx N.Y. He is an adjunct scientist at the Manitoba Centre for Health Policy and has published numerous papers using the population health administrative database in mental health outcomes. He has held and been part of numerous grants funded by CIHR, PHAC, and other national funding agencies related to work with First Nations communities. Dr. Katz is widely published in particular in the areas of suicide and suicidal behaviour. His other research interests include Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, pharmacoepidemiology, and implementation of complex interventions.
The learning objectives for this episode are as follows:
By the end of this episode, the listener will be able to…
Guest: Dr. Laurence Katz
Hosts: Wendy MacMillan-Wang, Shaoyuan Wang, Kate Braithwaite, and Sara Abrahamson
Audio editing by: Angad Singh
Show notes by: Kate Braithwaite
Interview content:
References:
For more PsychEd, follow us on Instagram (@psyched.podcast), X (@psychedpodcast), and Facebook (PsychEd Podcast). You can provide feedback by email at psychedpodcast@gmail.com. For more information, visit our website at psychedpodcast.org.
Welcome to PsychEd, the psychiatry podcast for medical learners, by medical learners. This is a special episode in a new series — the PsychEd Book Club, a forum where we'll introduce and discuss books of interest to psychiatry learners from a variety of disciplines, moving beyond epidemiology and clinical practice to look at science, history, culture, and more. We'll also invite you to read along and discuss with us as we read!
Our book club episodes will start with a short introductory episode (like this one) sharing the book title and why we picked it. A few months later, we plan to release an episode debriefing our thoughts on the book. If there are specific things you want us to talk about, email us at psychedpodcast@gmail.com or reach out to us on social media and we will try to include them in our debrief!
The first book we'll be covering is Anne Harrington's Mind Fixers: Psychiatry's Troubled Search for the Biology of Mental Illness. This is a new history of psychiatry, from the later nineteenth century to the present, with a focus on biological explanations and treatments for mental illness — the way that these approaches have gained and lost ground in the profession over time, clashing and collaborating with other understandings. It offers a wide-ranging overview of many defining figures, discoveries, and shifts within modern mental healthcare, unified by a single narrative which gives the book momentum and makes its portraits memorable, and often stinging. It's a polemical history, which prompts us to reconsider some of the field's most automatic self-conceptions, and to recognize the social, political, and cultural forces that have shaped and reshaped it over time.
Hosts: Drs Kate Braithwaite, Wendy MacMillan-Wang, Alastair Morrison, and Gaurav Sharma
Audio editing by: Dr Angad Singh
For more PsychEd, follow us on Instagram (@psyched.podcast), X (@psychedpodcast), and Facebook (PsychEd Podcast). You can provide feedback by email at psychedpodcast@gmail.com. For more information, visit our website at psychedpodcast.org.
Welcome to PsychEd, the psychiatry podcast for medical learners, by medical learners. This episode covers an introduction to consultation-liaison psychiatry with Dr. Raed Hawa and Dr. Alan Wai, both from the University of Toronto.
Dr. Raed Hawa is an esteemed CL psychiatrist and educator. Dr Hawa's interests are in the areas of undergraduate, postgraduate, and continuing medical education. He also practices general sleep medicine with particular clinical interest in the areas of insomnia, co-morbid psychiatric and medical illnesses, and sleep-related movement disorders. He currently serves as the President of the Canadian Academy of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry (CACLP) and holds the position of Professor at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto. Additionally, Dr. Hawa is the Deputy Psychiatrist-in-Chief at the Centre for Mental Health, University Health Network. Dr. Hawa has earned American Board Certification in Psychiatry, with subspecialty certifications in Sleep Medicine and Psychosomatic Medicine (Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry). His expertise and contributions to the field have been recognized through his designation as a Distinguished Fellow of both the American Psychiatric Association (APA) and the Canadian Psychiatric Association (CPA).
Dr. Alan Wai is a psychiatrist at the University Health Network in Toronto and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto. He provides inpatient CL psychiatry care and mental health and psychiatric care embedded in the Immunodeficiency Clinic at Toronto General Hospital, where he sees both persons living with and at risk of HIV. He received his medical degree from the University of British Columbia and completed his psychiatric residency training at the University of Toronto.
The learning objectives for this episode are as follows:
By the end of this episode, the listener will be able to…
Outline the history and evolution of CL psychiatry
Define the role and scope of CL psychiatrists in diverse medical settings
Identify and assess common psychiatric disorders in CL settings
Provide differential diagnoses and a general approach to a CL patient through a sample case
Guests: Dr. Raed Hawa and Dr. Alan Wai
Hosts: Annie Yu (PGY3), Sena Gok (MD), and Matthew Cho (CC3)
Audio editing by: Sena Gok
Show notes by: Sena Gok
Interview content:
Resources:
References:
For more PsychEd, follow us on Instagram (@psyched.podcast), X (@psychedpodcast), and Facebook (PsychEd Podcast). You can provide feedback by email at psychedpodcast@gmail.com. For more information, visit our website at psychedpodcast.org.
Welcome to PsychEd, the psychiatry podcast for medical learners, by medical learners. In this episode, we discuss the practice of involuntary hospitalization (also referred to as involuntary commitment or certification) with two special guests and fellow podcast creators — Jesse Mangan and Dr. Jim McQuaid. Their podcast, Committable, focuses on the topic of involuntary commitment and features stories from people with lived experience as a window into complex conversations with attorneys, physicians, psychologists, and more. Jesse Mangan is the producer of Committable and someone who has experienced involuntary hospitalization. Dr. Jim McQuaid is an Associate Professor of Sociology at Framingham University.
The learning objectives for this episode are as follows:
By the end of this episode, the listener will be able to…
Appreciate the individual and societal functions of involuntary hospitalization
Understand the potential benefits and risks associated with involuntary hospitalization from the perspective of health care professionals as well as service users and the community at large
Describe actions you can take as a practitioner (who has the power to certify) that may better serve your community and those you care for
Identify meaningful ways to continue the conversation about these issues in medical education or training and beyond
*This episode was recorded in 2021. Through a saga involving lost and recovered audio files, we’re thrilled to finally be able to release it, and believe that the topic is just as timely and relevant as ever!
Guests: Jesse Mangan and Dr. Jim McQuaid
Hosts: Anita Corsini, Nikhita Singhal, Gray Meckling, and Alex Raben
Audio editing by: Nikhita Singhal
Show notes by: Nikhita Singhal
Interview content:
Resources:
References:
For more PsychEd, follow us on Instagram (@psyched.podcast), X (@psychedpodcast), and Facebook (PsychEd Podcast). You can provide feedback by email at psychedpodcast@gmail.com. For more information, visit our website at psychedpodcast.org.
Welcome to PsychEd, the psychiatry podcast for medical learners, by medical learners. This episode covers Antipsychotic Side Effects with our very own expert Dr Alex Raben, a staff psychiatrist in chronic care at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto.
Dr. Raben graduated from medical school and completed residency at the University of Toronto. His academic interests include teaching and medical education scholarship with a particular interest in novel modalities of knowledge translation within the field of psychiatry. He is a founding member and Executive Director of PsychEd, this educational psychiatry podcast which aims to empower medical learners to seek out current knowledge from mental health experts to share with their colleagues around the world.
The learning objectives for this episode are as follows:
By the end of this episode, the listener will be able to…
Guest: Dr Alex Raben
Hosts: Angad Singh and Kate Braithwaite
Audio editing by: Angad Singh
Show notes by: Angad Singh and Kate Braithwaite
Interview Content:
Please note that this episode does not include a discussion of the life threatening side effects of antipsychotics. These include neuroleptic malignant syndrome, torsades de pointes, laryngospasm, and seizure.
Resources:
References:
For more PsychEd, follow us on Instagram (@psyched.podcast), Twitter (@psychedpodcast), and Facebook (PsychEd Podcast). You can provide feedback by email at psychedpodcast@gmail.com. For more information, visit our website at psychedpodcast.org.
Welcome to PsychEd, the psychiatry podcast for medical learners, by medical learners. This episode covers an introduction to forensic psychiatry with Dr. Amina Ali, a forensic psychiatrist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in Toronto, Canada. Dr. Ali joined the Forensic Division at CAMH in 2018. She is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto. Prior to joining CAMH, Dr. Ali received her Doctor of Medicine at the American University of the Caribbean, completed her Psychiatry residency at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York, and fellowship in Forensic Psychiatry at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine.
Dr. Ali's leadership experience includes serving as Chief resident during her residency, for which she was bestowed a Residency Leadership Award from the Bronx Lebanon Hospital Center. She is a Competence By Design coach to residents and serves on the Psychiatry Competency Committee and as a CaRMS file reviewer for the University of Toronto General Psychiatry Residency Program. She is also a supervisor for forensic residents and sits on the subspecialty resident committees. Within the forensic division, Dr. Ali has contributed to the organization and implementation of the Summer Studentship in Forensic Psychiatry Program and is our Medical Education and Wellness Lead. Internationally, Dr. Ali was appointed to serve on the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law Education Committee and most recently recruited to Chair their Civil Commitment and Consent to Treatment Working Group.
The learning objectives for this episode are as follows:
By the end of this episode, the listener will be able to…
Describe the role of forensic psychiatry and its relation to the Ontario Review Board.
Outline the criteria for fitness to stand trial.
Describe the function and possible outcomes of a treatment order.
Outline the criteria for not criminally responsible on account of a mental disorder.
Distinguish between the disposition options available under the Ontario Review Board.
Demonstrate an enhanced ability to advocate for and support patients in navigating the forensic psychiatric system.
Guest: Dr. Amina Ali
Hosts: Alexander Simmons (PGY3), Kate Braithwaite (MD), and Rhys Linthorst (PGY5)
Audio editing by: Gaurav Sharma (PGY5)
Show notes by: Alexander Simmons (PGY3)
References:
Crocker, A. G., Nicholls, T. L., Seto, M. C., Charette, Y., Cote, G., Caulet, M. (2015). The National Trajectory Project of individuals found not criminally responsible on account of mental disorder in Canada. Part 2: the people behind the label. The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 60(3), 106-116.
Prpa, T., Moulden, H. M., Taylor, L., Chaimowitz, G. A. (2018). A review of patient-level factors related to the assessment of fitness to stand trial in Canada. International Journal of Risk and Recovery, 1(2), 16-22.
Carroll, A., McSherry, B., Wood, D., & Yannoulidis, LLB, S. (2008). Drug‐associated psychoses and criminal responsibility. Behavioral sciences & the law, 26(5), 633-653.
Watts, J. (2013). Updating toxic psychosis into 21st-century Canadian: Bouchard-Lebrun v. R. Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law Online, 41(3), 374-381.
Crocker, AG, Nicholls, TL, Seto, MC, Cote, G, Charette, Y, Caulet, M. The national trajectory project of individuals found not criminally responsible on account of a mental disorder in Canada, Part 1: Context and methods. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry. 2015;60(3):98-105.
Schneider, RD. Mental health courts. Current Opinion in Psychiatry. 2008;21:510-513.
For more PsychEd, follow us on X (@psychedpodcast), Facebook (PsychEd Podcast), and Instagram (@psyched.podcast). You can provide feedback by email at psychedpodcast@gmail.com. For more information, visit our website at psychedpodcast.org.