Psyched: Educational Psychiatry Podcast

Welcome to PsychEd, the psychiatry podcast for medical learners, by medical learners. This episode introduces the field of metabolic psychiatry, with a focus on patients with severe mental illness and metabolic syndrome. Our guest is Dr. Cindy Calkin, an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Department of Neuroscience at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia. Dr. Calkin has been a pioneer in the field of metabolic and neuroendocrine disorders in patients with bipolar disorder. Her research interests include examining the effects of obesity, insulin resistance and type II diabetes on the clinical course and outcomes in bipolar disorder. The learning objectives for this episode are as follows: By the end of this episode, the listener will be able to…  Describe the burden of metabolic syndrome in the population with severe mental illnesses Explain reasons for the comorbidity between metabolic syndrome and severe mental illness Identify biopsychosocial strategies to prevent or treat metabol

Welcome to PsychEd, the psychiatry podcast for medical learners, by medical learners. This episode covers the field of critical psychiatry with Dr. Elia Abi-Jaoude and Lucy Costa. Dr. Abi-Jaoude is a staff psychiatrist at The Hospital for Sick Children and Assistant Professor and Clinician Investigator in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto in Toronto, Canada. Lucy Costa is Deputy Executive Director of the Empowerment Council, a voice for clients of mental health and addiction services primarily at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto.   While this topic could be very philosophical and expansive, we are going to focus our discussion by considering the practical implications of this field on psychiatric practice. What do you need to know about critical psychiatry as a trainee, and how might it impact your clinical practice?   The learning objectives for this episode are as follows: By the end of this episode, the listener will be able to… Define the term critical psychi

Welcome to PsychEd, the psychiatry podcast for medical learners, by medical learners. This episode covers depression in children and adolescents with Dr. Darren Courtney, a scientist with the Cundill Centre for Child and Youth Depression and the Margaret and Wallace McCain Centre for Child, Youth and Family Mental Health and a staff psychiatrist in the Youth Addictions and Concurrent Disorders Service at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in Toronto. He is also an associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto.   Dr. Courtney earned his MD in 2004 at Queen’s University and completed psychiatry residency in 2009 at the University of Ottawa. He was the clinical director of the Youth Inpatient Unit at the Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre from 2009 to 2014 and moved to Toronto in 2014, where he worked on the Concurrent Youth Inpatient Unit at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health until 2017 and where his clinical work with concurrent disorders continues now w

Welcome to PsychEd, the psychiatry podcast for medical learners, by medical learners. This episode covers HIV/AIDS psychiatry with special guests from two international settings to provide complementary perspectives on HIV psychiatry. Dr. Adriana Carvalhal, HIV Psychiatrist and Staff Psychiatrist at Scarborough Health Network in Canada and Dr. Leigh Van Den Heuvel, Psychiatrist and Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry, at Stellenbosch University in South Africa. The learning objectives for this episode are as follows:  By the end of this episode, you should be able to… Understand the unique mental health needs of people living with HIV and the bidirectional relationship between HIV and mental health Identify HIV-specific mental health disorders and how to screen for these conditions Outline the overall approach to treatment for HIV patients with mental health disorders Guests: Dr. Adriana Carvalhal and Dr Leigh Van Den Heuvel Produced by: Saja Jaberi (MD), Kate Braithwaite (MD) and Gaur

Welcome to PsychEd, the psychiatry podcast for medical learners, by medical learners. This episode covers trauma and addictions with Dr. Gabor Maté, a retired physician who, after 20 years of family practice and palliative care experience, worked for over a decade in Vancouver’s Downtown East Side with patients challenged by drug addiction and mental illness. The bestselling author of five books published in thirty languages, including the award-winning In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction, Dr. Maté is an internationally renowned speaker highly sought after for his expertise on addiction, trauma, childhood development, and the relationship of stress and illness. For his groundbreaking medical work and writing he has been awarded the Order of Canada, his country’s highest civilian distinction, and the Civic Merit Award from his hometown, Vancouver. His fifth book, The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness and Healing in a Toxic Culture was released on September 13, 2022.   The learning obje

Welcome to PsychEd, the psychiatry podcast for medical learners, by medical learners. This episode covers Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) and mental illness as a sequel to our previous episode on MAiD with our guest experts, Dr. Sonu Gaind and Dr. Jeffrey Kirby. This episode was originated by Dr. Urvashi Prasad for her Grand Rounds.   The learning objectives for this episode are as follows: By the end of this episode, the listener will be able to… Gain an understanding of the current state of Medical Assistance in Dying for primarily mental illness in Canada Evaluate the arguments in support of and against implementation of Medical Assistance in Dying for primarily Mental Illness  Understand next steps and future directions of Medical Assistance in Dying for primarily mental illness in Canada Discuss the possible impact that Medical Assistance in Dying might have on the profession of psychiatry    Guest Experts: Dr. Sonu Gaind who is a Professor in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Tor

Welcome to PsychEd - the psychiatry podcast for medical learners, by medical learners. This episode covers the relationship between cannabis and psychotic disorders, as well as the potential impact of cannabis legalization in Canada, with our special guest Dr. Nitin Chopra. This episode was originated by Dr. Luke Fraccaro for his Grand Rounds.   The learning objectives for this episode are as follows:  By the end of this episode, you should be able to… Briefly summarize the effects of cannabis on mental health and cognition, with a focus on psychosis. Appreciate the evidence for cannabis use as a potential cause of persistent psychotic disorders. Discuss the possible impact that recent cannabis legislation may have had on cannabis use and psychosis in Canada.   Guest Expert Dr. Nitin Chopra is an addictions psychiatrist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) and is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto. He has an interest in concurrent disord

Welcome to PsychEd, the psychiatry podcast for medical learners, by medical learners. This episode covers the Journey Through Stages of Sleep with Dr. Michael Mak, Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto, and an Adjunct Research Professor at Western University.   The learning objectives for this episode are as follows:   Understand the basics of sleep physiology, including the stages of sleep Recognize the clinical features of insomnia disorder using the ICSD-3 and DSM-5-TR criteria  Develop an approach to the assessment of insomnia  Identify the pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments for insomnia disorder    Guest: Dr. Michael Mak (Staff Psychiatrist)   Hosts: Dr. Vanessa Aversa (PGY4), Andreea Chiorean (CC4), Sena Gok (IMG)   Audio editing by: Sena Gok   Show notes by: Sena Gok   Contents: Introduction:  0:16 Learning Objectives:  01:49 Definition and  Clinical features of insomnia (ICSD-3 and DSM-5-TR criteria):  02:39 Insomnia prevalence, cost

Welcome to PsychEd — the psychiatry podcast for medical learners, by medical learners. This episode is an introduction to the use and monitoring of lithium in bipolar disorder. Join Tingting Yan (CC4) and Dr. Alex Raben (staff psychiatrist at CAMH and lecturer at the University of Toronto) for a lively case-based discussion. Learning Objectives The learning objectives for this episode are as follows:   By the end of this episode, the listener will be able to… Describe the indications and process for starting lithium Monitor and interpret serum lithium levels List short and long-term adverse effects of lithium Produced by: Tingting Yan CC4, Dr. Alex Raben (staff psychiatrist)   Hosts: Tingting Yan, Alex Raben   Audio editing by: Alex Raben   Show notes by: Alex Raben   Contents: Learning objectives: 00:44 Lithium background and brief history: 2:48 Women’s health and lithium: 5:28 Underutilization of lithium: 8:02 Baseline blood work for lithium: 11:32 Choosing a lithium starting dose: 14:

Welcome to PsychEd — the psychiatry podcast for medical learners, by medical learners. This episode covers the “big picture” relationship between violence and severe mental illnesses such as schizophrenia and bipolar spectrum disorders. Our guest experts in this episode are Dr. Robert McMaster, Assistant Professor of Forensic Psychiatry at the University of Toronto and Dr. Ragy R. Girgis, Associate Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at Columbia University in New York. This episode is a good companion to Episode 15: Managing Aggression and Agitation with Dr. Jodi Lofchy, which covers how to identify and manage acute risk of violence in a clinical setting. The learning objectives for this episode are as follows: By the end of this episode, you should be able to… Describe the epidemiology of violence in severe mental illness (rates of perpetration vs. victimization, risk factors, quality of evidence)  Understand and critique how society currently addresses violence in those with severe mental illness  Disc

Welcome to PsychEd — the psychiatry podcast for medical learners, by medical learners. This episode covers the mental status examination and makes use of practical and fictional examples to delve deeper into the skills and concepts   Learning Objectives:   The learning objectives for this episode are as follows: By the end of this episode, the listener will be able to… Explain the utility and purpose of the mental status examination in psychiatry Describe the major components of the mental status examination and be familiar with some of the common vocabulary used Incorporate the mental status in a way that respects patients in presentation, documentation and formulation in clinical practice    Topics: 2:37 - Learning objectives 3:10 - Definition of the MSE 6:48 - History of the MSE 9:00 - Limitations of the MSE 15:37 - Strengths of the MSE 21:30 - ASEPTIC Mnemonic 23:04 - Appearance and Behaviour 37:42 - Speech 51:51 - Emotion (mood and affect) 1:03:51 - Perception 1:08:38 - Thou

Welcome to PsychEd, the psychiatry podcast for medical learners, by medical learners. In this episode, we’ll explore a topic that we’re sure many listeners are eager to learn about: The Assessment of Major Neurocognitive Disorder, also known as dementia with Dr. Lesley Wiesenfeld who is a Geriatric Psychiatrist and Psychiatrist-in-Chief at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, where she leads the Geriatric Consult Liaison Psychiatry Service. She is also an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto.   The learning objectives for this episode are as follows:   Define Major Neurocognitive Disorder (aka Dementia) as per DSM-5 diagnostic criteria Identify differential diagnoses for cognitive decline and list differentiating clinical features  Outline an approach to the assessment of a patient presenting with cognitive decline, including the role of a comprehensive history, psychometric tools and other investigations [ Relevant PMH/risk factors, ADLs/IADLs to cover on history

Welcome to PsychEd, the psychiatry podcast for medical learners, by medical learners. This episode delves into the history of psychiatry with Dr David Castle, the inaugural Scientific Director of the Centre for Complex Interventions at the Centre for Addictions and Mental Health and a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto. Prior to migrating to Canada in 2021, he spent 15 years as a Professor of Psychiatry at St Vincent’s Hospital and the University of Melbourne in Australia.   The learning objectives for this episode are as follows:   By the end of this episode, you should be able to… Gain an appreciation for the historical context of the field of psychiatry Understand how illness categories and treatments have been shaped by this history  Compare and contrast how various past societies viewed and conceptualized mental illness Apply lessons learned from historical practices to appraise current approaches   Guest: Dr David Castle   Hosts: Dr Alex Raben (Staff Psychiatrist),

Welcome to PsychEd, the psychiatry podcast for medical learners, by medical learners. In this episode, we present a focused summary of the latest changes in The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-5-TR) with our guest expert — Dr. Michael First, a Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at Columbia University, NY. Dr. First is an internationally recognized expert on psychiatric diagnosis and assessment issues, he is the editor and co-chair of the DSM-5 text revision project (DSM-5-TR), the editorial and coding Consultant for the DSM-5, the chief technical and editorial consultant on the World Health Organization ICD-11 revision project and was an external consultant to the NIMH Research Domain Criteria project (RDOC).   The learning objectives for this episode are as follows: Understand the rationale for undertaking a DSM-5-TR as well as the revision process itself  To become familiar with disorder, text and symptom code additions and modifications to the DSM-

Welcome to PsychEd, the psychiatry podcast for medical learners, by medical learners. In this episode, we present a broad overview of antisocial personality disorder and psychopathy with our guest expert - Dr. Donald Lynam. Dr. Lynam is a clinical psychologist by training, and professor at Purdue university, where he heads the Purdue's Developmental Psychopathology, Psychopathy and Personality Lab. While there may be some disagreement in the field, Dr. Lynam and I discuss how ASPD and psychopathy are two diagnostic constructs that are attempting to outline the same psychopathology, with the main difference being the degree of severity - for this reason, we use the terms antisocial and psychopathic interchangeably.    While not necessary, it may be of benefit for listeners to familiarize themselves with the DSM-V criteria for antisocial personality disorder, the psychopathy checklist (PCL), as well as the 5-factor model of personality. References for each are listed below in the references section, however, fo

Welcome to PsychEd, the psychiatry podcast for medical learners, by medical learners. This episode covers perinatal psychiatry with Dr. Tuong Vi Nguyen, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University and Scientist and Scientist, RI-MUHC, Brain Repair and Integrative Neuroscience (BRaIN) Program, Centre for Outcomes Research and Evaluation.    The learning objectives for this episode are as follows:   By the end of this episode, you should be able to… Define the field of perinatal psychiatry Describe the key issues that should be addressed in pre-conception psychiatric counseling Discuss the management approach for prescribing medications during pregnancy Recognize the prevalence of mood disorders during the perinatal period Recall the diagnostic criteria for postpartum depression Consider the risk factors and explanatory models for postpartum depression Discuss the use of screening tools for postpartum depression Outline the treatment for postpartum

Welcome to PsychEd, the psychiatry podcast for medical learners, by medical learners. This episode covers perinatal psychiatry with Dr. Tuong Vi Nguyen, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University and Scientist, RI-MUHC, Brain Repair and Integrative Neuroscience (BRaIN) Program, Centre for Outcomes Research and Evaluation.    The learning objectives for this episode are as follows:   By the end of this episode, you should be able to… Define the field of reproductive psychiatry Discuss the possible neurobiological pathways impacting mood and cognition during the reproductive cycle of women.  Discuss the influence of sociocultural gender roles on psychopathology.    List the DSM-V diagnostic criteria of premenstrual dysphoric disorder. Recall the epidemiology of premenstrual dysphoric disorder. Describe the steps in the diagnostic evaluation for premenstrual dysphoric disorder. List lifestyle and psychopharmacologic interventions for premenstrual dy

Welcome to PsychEd, the psychiatry podcast for medical learners, by medical learners. This episode covers psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy with Dr Emma Hapke and Dr Daniel Rosenbaum, both of whom are psychiatrists at the University Health Network in Toronto and co-founders of UHN’s Nikean Psychedelic Psychotherapy Research Centre (in addition to being lecturers in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto).   The learning objectives for this episode are as follows:   By the end of this episode, you should be able to… Briefly describe the history of psychedelics in psychiatry List the four classes of psychedelic drugs and their mechanism of action Summarize the evidence regarding psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy for various psychiatric disorders Discuss patient selection considerations for psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy Describe the safety, tolerability and possible side effects of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy Understand how a psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy session is practic

Welcome to PsychEd, the psychiatry podcast for medical learners, by medical learners. This episode covers interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) with Dr. Paula Ravitz, an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto and Senior Clinician-Scientist at the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute of Mt Sinai Hospital. Dr. Ravitz held the Morgan Firestone Psychotherapy Chair at the Mount Sinai Hospital from 2011 to 2021 and is a past president of the International Society of Interpersonal Psychotherapy. The learning objectives for this episode are as follows:   By the end of this episode, you should be able to… Define interpersonal psychotherapy Describe the core principles and phases of IPT Become familiarized with some psychological theories underpinning IPT List some patient selection considerations for IPT Describe the efficacy and evidence base for IPT  Understand how IPT is practically carried  out  Briefly compare and contrast IPT to other common psychotherapies   Guest: Dr. Paula Ravitz (pa

Welcome to PsychEd, the psychiatry podcast for medical learners, by medical learners. This episode covers Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) and mental illness with our guest expert Dr. Sonu Gaind. This episode was originated by Dr. Urvashi Prasad for her Grand Rounds.    The learning objectives for this episode are as follows: By the end of this episode, you should be able to… Briefly summarize the history of Medical Assistance in Dying in Canada Define the present policy on Medical Assistance in Dying and Mental Health in Canada Evaluate the arguments in support of and against the implementation of Medical Assistance in Dying in Mental Health Discuss the possible impact that Medical Assistance in Dying might have on the profession of psychiatry   Guest expert: Dr. Sonu Gaind  is a Professor in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto (U of T) and Chief of Psychiatry at Humber River Hospital. Dr. Gaind has testified in front of the Federal External Panel on Options for a Legislative Response to