So, what I’m most looking forward to in my role as Cundill Centre Director is being part of a movement to kick start the field of child and youth depression. I truly hope – and believe –the Cundill Centre will be a magnet that will pull together the best, brightest and most energetic young people and energize them about the possibilities of making a difference. Some of this work is already happening, and we look forward to sharing highlights at the second Cundill Centre Conference, New Directions for Adolescents and Young Adults with Depression, on June 4. I look at this work as an indication that we are already getting the field moving again so can make advances with a much bigger impact.

Photo: Dr. Peter Szatmari (left) with Dr. Jeff Daskalakis (right)

Brain stimulation is showing tremendous promise in treating depression and a range of other psychiatric disorders – and is even reducing suicidal ideation in some people.

That was the message from the inaugural Cundill Centre Speaker Series, officially launched April 30. In the presentation, called “On the Future of Neuromodulation in the Treatment of Depression,” Dr. Jeff Daskalakis described how rTMS, MST and ECT are creating hope for the one-third of depression patients whose illness is treatment resistant.

“These are people who do not get better and continue to struggle with symptoms while also being seen more frequently in our clinics, our inpatient units and in our emergency departments,” Dr. Daskalakis, co-director of CAMH’s Temerty Centre for Therapeutic Brain Intervention, told the audience.

Photo: Kirsten Neprily, Research Assistant, with Dr. Darren Courtney, Principal Investigator

Through an introductory session, young people and their families learn how proper sleep hygiene, exercise and diet can improve mood. Depending on need and the overall functioning of the family, caregivers may also be offered eight additional weekly group sessions.

“This is going to make a difference because the treatment we’re going to offer is based on scientific evidence,” explains Dr. Darren Courtney, CARIBOU’s principal investigator. “We’ve sifted through a lot of evidence out there, and are confident the interventions we’re going to offer through this pathway are the most evidence based.”

As a pilot study for a multi-centre, randomized controlled trial, Caribou is being compared to adolescent depression treatment as usual at Sunnybrook.

The Cundill Centre is committed to engaging diverse stakeholders and sharing knowledge with them at all stages of a project—even after it wraps up. We continue to share findings from the Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPG) Project, which found that the best, most trustworthy, evidence-based guideline is Depression in children and young people: Identification and management, developed by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in the United Kingdom. Since the last newsletter, this project has published three papers (linked below), has presented to members of the Canadian Association of Paediatric Health Centres Child and Youth Mental Health Community of Practice, and has engaged psychiatrists in an interactive workshop at the University of Toronto Psychopharmacology Conference.

The Child and Youth Psychotherapy Experiences (CAYPE) Project also continues to share its findings—project members presented at the Ontario Coalition for Children and Youth Mental Health 2018 Summit on Children & Youth Mental Health in April. In addition, both the CPG and CAYPE projects have upcoming presentations and workshops.

Cundill Centre Director Dr. Peter Szatmari recently presented at: The 50th Banff International Conference on Behavioural Science; Anxiety and Depression Association of America's 38th Annual Conference; and the World Psychiatric Association Epidemiology and Public Health Section 2018 Meeting (pictured below).

Photo: Dr. Peter Szatmari (third from left) with Cundill International Advisory Board Members Prof. Ian Hickie (middle) and Dr. Kathleen Merikangas (third from right), among other colleagues.

What excites you about the field of child and youth depression?
Studying interventions for child and youth depression is exciting to me as it provides an opportunity to discover new and innovative ways to tackle this common and debilitating condition. I am glad to be in a position where I can find pathways to relief of depression, with the intention of improving young people's current and future lives, as well as the lives of those around them.

What’s the most interesting thing about you that’s not on your resume?
I have a chocolate lab named Suvi, who loves swimming in the lakes of Algonquin park on canoe trips in late summer.

What excites you about the field of child and youth depression?
What excites me is the opportunity to better understand how environmental and social factors may influence the development of depression and anxiety in youth and adolescents. The more we understand, the better able we are to develop effective prevention and intervention practices, which ultimately improve the lives of children and youth with depression and other difficulties with mood regulation.

What’s the most interesting thing about you that’s not on your resume?
I enjoy playing competitive ice hockey and am a model railroad enthusiast. Also, many people think of me as just a scientist, but I actually worked for two years in a youth residential facility, where I provided individual and group treatment to adolescent youth. It helped shape my thinking about the interface between basic and applied research and continues to guide my thinking about the unique challenges faced by youth who struggle with depression and mood disorders.

What excites you about the field of child and youth depression? 
We’re gaining a better understanding of underlying factors common to depression and other mental health difficulties, as well as those factors that are unique in child and youth depression. Better understanding these shared and unique factors has important implications for treatment, since young people experiencing depression often experience other emotional and behavioural difficulties. As a clinician, I’m excited to be able to contribute to research that will lead to better treatment outcomes for children and youth with depression.

What’s the most interesting thing about you that’s not on your resume?
I got my motorcycle license a few years ago, and I spend time each summer touring around Northern Ontario on two wheels.