Quick Takes: A podcast by physicians, for physicians

“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:

critiques the DSM and ICD diagnostic systems

challenges serotonin-based explanations for depression

expresses skepticism toward both psychotherapy and biological psychiatry

argues that adult ADHD, autism, and trauma are over‑diagnosed

suggests that CBT is over‑marketed

and shares several other controversial opinions

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.

“Imagine a world where you have all the effects of antipsychotics, but none of the side effects.”
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.

“It’s one of the largest psychotherapy trials in the world.”
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.