QAnxiety

09/11/2026

Could biomarkers help us move beyond trial-and-error prescribing in depression?

Currently, the response rate to a first antidepressant trial is around 30- 50%. Many patients try a number of different SSRIs hoping to find one that both reduces symptoms and has few or no significant side effects.

A recent study published in Nature Mental Health offers promising evidence for the potential of precision psychiatry in antidepressant treatment. Researchers tested biomarker-based predictors developed from the EMBARC clinical trial in a new group of previously untreated patients in the SMART-D trial.

The findings:
- Participants with positive biomarkers for both sertraline (Zoloft) and bupropion (Wellbutrin) had a 71.4% response rate after 8 weeks.
- Those with no positive biomarkers had a 42.9% response rate
- This represents a 66% higher response rate among the biomarker-positive group.

The predictors combined fMRI measures, reward learning, cognitive control, clinical characteristics, and demographic factors.

Importantly, the SMART-D sample was small (47 participants), and further replication in larger and more diverse populations will be needed.
While these findings are not yet ready for routine clinical use, this is another step forward towards using a patient's biological and clinical profile and precision psychiatry for treating mental illness.

Fore more information on this trial:

In this precision trial, Zhukovsky et al. developed algorithms to predict sertraline or bupropion response, assigning independent, medication-free patients with major depressive disorder to one drug or the other on the basis of biobehavioral precision markers validated in a prospective trial.

08/14/2026

A recent study examining the prevalence of social anxiety disorder (SAD) among Canadian adults provides an interesting look at who may be most affected and what factors are associated with SAD.

Using data from the 2022 Canadian Mental Health and Access to Care Survey, researchers found:

- 13.9% of Canadian adults aged 20 and older reported a lifetime occurrence of SAD.

- Prevalence was particularly high among younger adults, with 24.2% of those aged 20–24 reporting lifetime SAD.

- SAD was also more common among women, Canadian-born individuals, and those who were single.

The study identified several other factors associated with higher odds of SAD, including experiences of childhood s*xual abuse or parental domestic violence, chronic health conditions or pain, and lifetime substance or alcohol use disorders. Lower perceived social support was also associated with SAD.

One finding of particular interest was that 13.9% lifetime prevalence of SAD reported by this study is considerably higher than the 8.1% prevalence reported in a 2002 Canadian survey.

While differences between the studies mean we cannot conclude that SAD has definitively increased over time, it raises important questions about what may be contributing to this change in the last 20 years.

For more information see the paper below:

06/27/2026

QAnxiety in CINP 2026, Glasgow, Scotland.

05/22/2026

AI cannot replace your therapist!

Currently, there are many different types of AI that will chat with you, but most of them will do more harm than good to your mental health. AI companions and chatbots are not designed to improve people's mental health, they are designed to increase engagement, and they can be really effective. AI companies are being sued left and right because of people dying because of their chatbots.

Only a very thin slice of all AI chatbots are actually designed to help people to improve their mental health. These are still in development phase. After being developed they must be tested in clinical trials. Clinical trials will show how safe and effective they are, and only then regulatory agencies (Health Canada, FDA, etc.) will make their assessment and approve them (or not).

If we wait for medications to be approved by Health Canada before taking them, why would we risk our mental health by using unregulated AI chatbots?

Companion chatbots and clinical chatbots are different products. We are treating them as the same thing.

05/01/2026

Happy National Physician's Day!

Thank you for all the hard work you do to keep patients safe, healthy and happy.

04/21/2026

Recently published review: Does the Menstrual Cycle Affect OCD Symptoms?

Emerging evidence suggests that hormonal changes across the menstrual cycle may influence symptoms of obsessive-compulsive and related disorders (OCRDs), but the research base remains limited.
In a recent scoping review, Mojgani et al. synthesized existing studies examining how OCRD symptoms fluctuate across the menstrual cycle.
Across 12 studies (primarily focused on OCD) participants reported worsening symptoms during the premenstrual (luteal) phase.

Despite these preliminary findings the authors noted the lack of research in this area:
- Most studies relied on retrospective self-report
- Only one study used longitudinal symptom measurement
- Very few studies examined OCRDs beyond OCD

These findings highlight an important gap in psychiatric research. Understanding how female s*x hormones may influence OCD symptoms could have implications for both assessment and treatment, particularly for individuals who experience cyclical symptom changes.

For more information see the article below:

This link will take you to a page that’s not on LinkedIn

04/11/2026

New Research for Treatment-Resistant Depression using inhaled psychedelics:

A recent Phase 2 clinical trial has found encouraging results for a new inhalable psychedelic treatment for people with treatment-resistant depression.

The study tested GH001, an inhalable formulation of the psychedelic compound 5‑MeO‑DMT. This naturally occurring substance is known for producing intense but very short-lasting psychedelic experiences.

Researchers at 16 clinical sites across Europe enrolled 81 adults with treatment-resistant depression, on average participants had been experiencing depression for about 12 years and had not responded to at least two previous antidepressant treatments.

Here’s what they found:

- Major symptom reduction: Average depression scores dropped from moderate/severe levels to much milder symptoms.

- 57% of patients receiving the drug were in remission after 8 days, compared to 0% in the placebo group.

- Short-acting experience: The psychoactive effects lasted only about 9–14 minutes, allowing patients to recover quickly and be discharged the same day.

- Many patients who initially improved were able to maintain remission with occasional maintenance treatments over six months.

While larger studies are still needed, these early findings suggest that fast-acting psychedelic therapies, especially short-duration ones like inhaled 5-MeO-DMT, may represent a new frontier in treating severe depression.

For more information see the article below:

03/27/2026

A new Canadian study out of McMaster University (Halladay et al. 2026) highlights a concerning shift in the relationship between cannabis use and mental health over the past decade.

Researchers analyzed two nationally representative surveys from 2012 (n=25,113) and 2022 (n=9,861) examining cannabis use and internalizing mental health conditions among Canadians aged 15+. The findings show significant changes in both prevalence and strength of association.

Key findings:
• The prevalence of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), major depressive episodes (MDE), and cannabis use roughly doubled between 2012 and 2022
• Suicidality rates remained stable overall, but increased by 44% among youth
• More frequent cannabis use was linked to higher rates of anxiety, depression, and suicidality, with a clear dose-response relationship.

These findings highlight the importance of early identification, prevention, and integrated mental health and substance use care, especially as cannabis use patterns continue to evolve post cannabis legalization and post-pandemic.

For more information see the article below:

Objective As epidemiological patterns of cannabis use and internalizing problems evolve globally, it is critical to reassess their associations—particularly in ...

02/25/2026

Presenting new research on treatments for anxiety disorders, OCD and PTSD in the 36th Annual Therapeutics Queen's University Faculty of Health Sciences

02/13/2026

New research from the Hotchkiss Brain Institute and Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research and Education at the University of Calgary suggests we may be able to detect neural markers of depression and anxiety before symptoms begin in high-risk adolescents.

In a longitudinal study of youth ages 11 to 17 with a family history of internalizing disorders, researchers examined resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) using baseline brain scans. Participants had no prior clinically significant episodes at study entry and were followed for 18 months to track new onset of depression or anxiety.

Key finding: Adolescents who later developed depression or anxiety already showed distinct patterns of altered connectivity at baseline, particularly in subcortical regions involved in emotion and reward processing, including striatal and limbic circuits, and their connections with parietal and visual regions.
Importantly, these differences were present before clinical onset and remained significant after controlling for age, s*x, and subclinical symptoms, suggesting altered striatal connectivity may serve as a pre-morbid biomarker.
If replicated in larger and more diverse samples, these findings could
• Improve early identification of high-risk youth
• Inform targeted prevention strategies
• Help refine interventions, including behavioral therapies and neuromodulation approaches

For more info see: