Jan 10, 2024

News Roundup - December 2023

Article Summaries

" "
By Matthew Xia

Our faculty members frequently make appearances in the media as expert consultants or authors. This article summarizes the faculty media appearances that were featured in our Department newsletter in December 2023.

Moral Courage takes readers into the tense and tenuous world of risk-taking journalism 

The Globe and Mail. December 28, 2023. Featuring Dr. Anthony Feinstein.

Dr. Feinstein's book Moral Courage explores the risks and moral challenges faced by investigative journalists like Cándido Figueredo Ruíz, delving into their motivations and the psychological impacts of their work in the context of oppressive regimes and dangerous situations.

Is Canada ready to expand medical assistance in dying? Liberals will face that choice with deadline closing in

CBC News. December 27, 2023. Featuring Dr. Sonu Gaind.

Dr. Gaind urges the Canadian government to pause the expansion of medical assistance in dying to include mental disorders.

Journalists living in conflict zones show ‘extraordinary bravery’ 

Global News. December 25, 2023. Featuring Dr. Anthony Feinstein.

Dr. Feinstein's Moral Courage examines the lives of 19 investigative journalists, focusing on the risks they face and their psychological resilience while working under authoritarian regimes.

‘Jeopardy!’ Fans React After Drama-Packed ‘Best Game Ever’ 

TV Insider. December 21, 2023. Featuring Dr. Juveria Zaheer.

In an intense Jeopardy! Second Chance episode, Dr. Zaheer showcased strategic brilliance and knowledge to win a nail-bitingly close game with a final total of $36,400 beating all her competitors.

Could group therapy help cure the mental health crisis? 

CBC News. December 18, 2023. Featuring Dr. Molyn Leszcz.

Dr. Leszcz advocates for group psychotherapy as a cost-effective and equally beneficial alternative to individual therapy.

Critics caution against plan to expand medical assistance in dying to those with mental illness 

CTV News. December 17, 2023. Featuring Dr. Sonu Gaind and Dr. Tarek Rajji.

Dr. Gaind opposes expanding medical assistance in dying (MAID) to include mental disorders, arguing that it lacks strong legislative safeguards and could disproportionately affect marginalized women. On the other hand, Dr. Rajji from CAMH emphasizes the health system's unpreparedness to provide high-quality, equitable MAID services for mental illnesses.

Federal government considers MAID expansion pause 

CTV News. December 16, 2023. Featuring Dr. Sonu Gaind.

Dr. Gaind cautions against expanding Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) to include mental disorders, discussing safeguards and the risk of affecting vulnerable populations.

We can stop the growing triad of mental illness, incarceration and homelessness, but only if we properly fund the solutions 

The Globe and Mail. December 15, 2023. By Dr. Sandy Simpson, Dr. Roland Jones, et al.

Dr. Simpson, Dr. Jones, Dr. Tonia Nicholls of University of British Columbia, and Dr. Amanda Butler of Simon Fraser University highlight the critical link between homelessness, mental health issues, and recidivism in Ontario and British Columbia's criminal justice system, emphasizing the need for better mental health services, housing support, and alternatives to incarceration to address these interconnected challenges.

City extends program to support unhoused people on TTC with case workers 

CBC News. December 12, 2023. Featuring Dr. Michaela Beder.

Dr. Beder emphasizes the need for integrated team approaches to support the complex needs of the homeless population in Toronto's transit system, acknowledging the success of the M-DOT program but highlighting the city's urgent need for more housing solutions.

The Journalists’ Psychiatrist 

CanadaLand. December 11, 2023. Featuring Dr. Anthony Feinstein.

Dr. Feinstein pioneered the field of study on psychological trauma in journalists, treating them as patients and researching the unique mental health challenges they face due to their high-risk, conflict-driven work.

Meta-analysis highlights potential of psilocybin therapy for treatment-resistant depression 

PsyPost. December 8, 2023. Featuring Dr. David Chen-Li, Dr. Sipan Haikazian, and Dr. Joshua Rosenblat.

Dr. Chen-Li, Dr. Haikazian, and Dr. Rosenblat call for more rigorous phase III trials to further investigate the promising effects of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy in treating major depression and life-threatening cancer, highlighting its potential but also emphasizing the need for controlled clinical settings and caution against self-medication.

Two Canadians Who Police Link to Neo-Nazis Face Terrorism Charges 

New York Times. December 8, 2023. Featuring Dr. Peter Collins.

Dr. Collins comments on the prevalence of Active Club Canada, an offshoot of the neo-nazi terrorist group Atomwaffen Division.

SAD times for some 

Winnipeg Free Press. December 5, 2023. Featuring Dr. Michael Mak.

Dr. Mak highlights that while one in three Canadians experience some form of seasonal blues, about 3 to 5% suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), a more debilitating condition exacerbated by limited light exposure in winter, with immigrants potentially more susceptible to developing it.