Ottawa Hospital Research Institute

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Mental health

The Ottawa Hospital is conducting cutting-edge research to improve our understanding of mental health and develop better treatments. This page includes selected news stories about our research related to mental health, links to researchers working in this area and related resources. Learn more below.

Research News

	‘Rising star’ explains his path from a broken bone arm wrestling to mental health discovery March 13, 2025 - Emerging researcher and psychiatry resident Dr. Nicholas Fabiano was profiled as a “rising star” in the new journal Brain Medicine.
	Trial tests different ways to reduce depression in Parkinson’s disease February 11, 2025 - “Psychotherapy is an important option for treating depression in Parkinson’s. Healthcare providers should consider recommending it alone or in combination with antidepressants."
	Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital awarded 16 CIHR grants worth more than $8 million February 3, 2025 - Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital are leading 16 new projects funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) through the most recent operating grant competition.
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	Psychedelic use linked to increased risk of schizophrenia, study finds November 13, 2024 - “While there is enormous enthusiasm for psychedelic-assisted therapy as a new mental health treatment, we need to remember how early and limited the data remains for both the benefits and the risks."
	Abnormal electrolyte levels in people with eating disorders may increase risk of death, poor health outcomes September 17, 2024 - A new study found that 32% of individuals with an eating disorder had abnormal electrolyte levels, which were associated with a higher risk of death from any cause.
	Nearly 1 in 5 physicians experienced PTSD during the pandemic August 13, 2024 - “We hope that our findings will inspire health-care leaders and physicians to work together to understand and address these mental health impacts."
	Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital awarded 14 CIHR grants worth more than $10 million July 18, 2024 - “Success at CIHR underscores the creativity, dedication and collaboration of our researchers and their teams. Funding for these innovative projects paves the way for groundbreaking advancement in biomedical sciences, improved patient care and progres
	Treating sleep apnea for improved mental health in children June 4, 2024 - While not much is known about the link between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and mental health problems in children, researchers from The Ottawa Hospital and CHEO have discovered that addressing OSA in children can have positive effects on their ment
	New scientist profile: Dr. Dargél is dedicated to enhancing early detection and care in bipolar disorder May 28, 2024 - "My research aims to fundamentally improve the lives of those at risk of or living with bipolar disorder, especially youth and their families."
	4 areas to consider when implementing a trauma-informed care program May 17, 2024 - Healthcare staff, youth and caregivers identified four main aspects to consider when implementing a trauma-informed care program in a pediatric mental health unit,
	Non-invasive brain stimulation shows promise in reducing psychological distress in advanced illness April 8, 2024 - A small clinical trial at The Ottawa Hospital and Bruyère has shown for the first time that repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) holds promise as a treatment for psychological distress in people with advanced illness.
	Eating disorders: what do outcomes look like world-wide? March 1, 2024 - Eating disorders are severe mental health conditions where altered eating behavior harms the body and impairs social and cognitive functions. Dr. Marco Solmi led the most extensive study to date on eating disorder outcomes.
	Heavy cannabis use increases risk of developing an anxiety disorder, study suggests February 5, 2024 - Twenty-seven percent of individuals who had an emergency department visit for cannabis use developed a new anxiety disorder within three years, according to new research.
	Treatment-resistant depression: mouse study reveals surprising new insights January 29, 2024 - Dr. Paul Albert’s team found that not one, but two systems of neurotransmitters play a key role in mouse models of treatment-resistant depression.
	The quest for a good death November 9, 2023 - Dr. Colleen Webber is receiving the Clinical and Applied Health Researcher in Training Award from The Ottawa Hospital for her rigorous and empathetic palliative care research
	Emergency department visits for substance use linked to higher risk of developing schizophrenia September 27, 2023 - People visiting the emergency department (ED) for substance use—particularly cannabis—are at high risk of developing schizophrenia, according to new research.
	How do developing brain blood vessels and nerves link up? New study has some answers. September 1, 2023 - Dr. Baptiste Lacoste is fascinated by how blood vessels in the brain contribute to brain and mind health.
	Physicians struggled more with mental health during the pandemic than the general population April 19, 2023 - Outpatient mental health and substance use visits in physicians increased by 23%, compared to only 10% for the general public in the first 18 months of the pandemic, according to a new study from ICES and The Ottawa Hospital.
	Electrolyte levels could help with early detection of eating disorders November 16, 2022 - A discovery led by Dr. Gregory Hundemer could help people with eating disorders get treatment sooner.
	ECMO survivors have higher rate of new mental health diagnoses than other ICU survivors October 26, 2022 - Survivors of ECMO life support had a 24% higher rate of new mental health diagnoses after discharge compared to other ICU survivors, according to the first study of its kind, published in JAMA.
	Physician mental health care visits increased 27 percent during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic January 21, 2022 - Annual rates of outpatient visits for mental health and substance use among Ontario physicians increased by 27 percent during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a study published in JAMA Network Open. There were 1,038 visits per 1,
	Five scientists at The Ottawa Hospital ranked among world’s top researchers November 26, 2021 - Five scientists at The Ottawa Hospital have made it onto the prestigious list of Highly Cited ResearchersTM for 2021, with multiple papers that rank in the top one percent in their fields. Their research has been used and built upon by tens of thousa
	Could a drug that controls appetite also treat schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s? Mouse studies show promise. September 8, 2021 - Two recent studies suggest that the drug trodusquemine has the potential to treat symptoms of both schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s disease. This is because the drug targets an enzyme called PTP1B, which plays a role in both diseases
	A conversation with Dr. Jess Fiedorowicz August 18, 2021 - Dr. Jess Fiedorowicz is shining a light on mental health through his work and research at The Ottawa Hospital. Originally from the U.S., Dr. Fiedorowicz has been at our hospital since 2020 as the Head and Chief of the Department of Mental Health.
	Is there a link between suicide and epidemics? August 1, 2021 - A systematic review published by Dr. Simon Hatcher, in partnership with researchers across Ontario, the United Kingdom, and Ireland, looked at the relationship between public health epidemics and the risk of suicide and self-harm.
	ICU admission linked to higher rate of future suicide compared with other hospitalizations May 5, 2021 - An ICU admission is associated with a higher rate of suicide and self-harm after discharge when compared to hospital admissions without an ICU stay, according to the first study of its kind published in the medical journal The BMJ.
	New scientist profile: Dr. Jess Fiedorowicz brings an interdisciplinary vision to mental health research March 10, 2021 - Dr. Jess Fiedorowicz has built his research career on bringing together specialists from different disciplines to better understand the health risks faced by people with severe mental disorders, with a focus on bipolar disorder.
	Study in mice reveals possible new target to treat schizophrenia March 10, 2021 - The enzyme PTP1B may be a new target for treating schizophrenia, according to a study published in Neuropsychopharmacology.
	HELP MD – A novel data-driven approach to study physician wellness September 21, 2020 - Physician-researchers at The Ottawa Hospital and the Bruyère Research Institute are leading a novel data-driven research initiative to better understand and improve physician health and wellness.
	How are you coping during COVID-19? April 20, 2020 - COVID-19 is changing core aspects of people’s lives in a unique manner. Social interactions, family and work are all affected. Researchers want to understand the impacts of these changes and determine what helps people cope.? They have launched a stu
	The Ottawa Hospital awarded nine grants worth $5.6 million from Canadian Institutes of Health Research February 3, 2020 - How can we treat depression when nothing else is working? How can heart growth be both good and bad? How can we increase patient participation in clinical trials? These are just a few of the big questions that researchers at The Ottawa Hospital will
	How a lucky accident helped spark a new era of depression research October 21, 2019 - It all started with one lucky accident. In the late 1980’s, Dr. Paul Albert was trying to isolate a gene that controls metabolism. Instead, he pulled out a gene that controls motivation and another that controls mood. These two genes became the subje
	Researchers get $745,000 boost from NSERC May 29, 2019 - Four scientists from The Ottawa Hospital, affiliated with the University of Ottawa, were successful in the recent discovery grant competition from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).
	Engaging patients in research every step of the way November 28, 2018 - CMAJ's new supplement on engaging patients in health research features commentaries led by Drs. Dean Fergusson, Simon Hatcher and Christian Vaillancourt, as well as 14 other teams affiliated with Ontario’s SPOR SUPPORT Unit (OSSU). As co-Scientific D
	Depression linked to “junk DNA” in the serotonin receptor gene November 21, 2018 - The human genome is thought to be 75 to 90 percent meaningless “junk DNA”, but researchers are increasingly finding that some of this junk may actually do something important. For example, new research led by Dr. Paul Albert and Dr. Eitan Friedman sh
	First responders to get mental health help at new research clinic October 31, 2018 - Recognizing the mental health needs of first responders, the City of Ottawa is championing a new study led by researchers at The Ottawa Hospital and the University of Ottawa. The team will launch Canada’s first research-based mental health clinic for
	The cancer’s gone but the fear remains: psychology researchers tackle fear of cancer recurrence August 16, 2018 - A pilot study by Drs. Christina Tomei, Sophie Lebel, Christine Maheu, Monique Lefebvre, and Cheryl Harris suggests that specialized psychological services could help cancer survivors manage their fear of cancer returning. While this is a realistic fe
	Antidepressants and exercise in stroke recovery: surprising results from new mouse study March 2, 2018 - Exercise and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are effective in treating certain kinds of depression, but little research has tested them together in post-stroke depression, which affects 20 to 80 percent of stroke survivors. Drs. Pau
	Extra maternal care prevents brain inflammation and reduces anxiety in mice September 22, 2017 - New research led by Dr. Hsiao-Huei Chen reveals that a protein called IRF2BP2 plays an important role in controlling anxiety in mice by influencing microglia, known as the immune system of the brain. Microglial cells can do many things, including fig
	Dr. Paul Albert recognized for ground-breaking discoveries in mental health July 11, 2017 - Dr. Paul Albert has received the top research award from the Canadian College of Neuropsychopharmacology (the Heinz Lehmann Award) for his “outstanding and innovative research” in mental health. Nearly 30 years ago, Dr. Albert performed the fir
	The Ottawa Hospital awarded 18 research grants from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, worth $10.7 million May 19, 2017 - Eighteen research groups at The Ottawa Hospital, affiliated with the University of Ottawa, have been awarded nearly $11 million in the most recent project grant competition from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). This represents a suc
	New model may lead to better treatments for depression after stroke September 14, 2016 - Dr. Paul Albert and his team have developed a new animal model to help test treatments for depression after stroke. Between 20 to 80 percent of stroke patients will be diagnosed with depression, which greatly impacts both their quality of life an
	Can smartphone-assisted therapy help prevent suicide? Researchers get $1.7M grant to find out January 27, 2016 - Every year about 1,200 people in Ottawa arrive at a hospital with self-harm, usually from an overdose of pills. About five percent of these people will die by suicide in the next five years. However, the treatment given to this high-risk group is
	Drug to control appetite could also fight anxiety: Ottawa study March 5, 2015 - Did you know that our body produces its own marijuana-like compound to protect us against anxiety? A study led by Ottawa researchers published today in Neuron reveals a new biological pathway that regulates anxiety and obesity and suggests that a dru

Researchers

Name	Scientific appointment	Diseases, conditions and populations of interest	Research and clinical approaches
Abe, Anne Mary MD	Clinician Investigator (NS)	Mental health
Albert, Paul PhD	Senior Scientist (NS)	Mental health, Vascular cognitive impairment, Anxiety, Depression, Intellectual disabilities, Parkinson's, Schizophrenia, Stroke, Suicide	Basic research, Epigenetics, Exercise, Gene expression, Translational research, Disease models, Epigenetics, Genetics, Imaging, Molecular and cellular biology, Optogenetics, Transgenic/knockout models
Cahill, Taliesin RN MSN	Clinician Investigator (ICD)	Addiction, Chronic pain, Health equity, Health in disadvantaged peoples, Hepatitis C, HIV, Infectious disease, Mental health
Chandramouleeshwaran, Susmita MD	Clinician Investigator (NS)	Aging, Mental health
Chen, Hsiao-Huei PhD	Senior Scientist (NS)	Aging, Autism, Dementia, Depression, Heart disease, Maternal and fetal health, Mental health, Tourette's, Alzheimer's, Alzheimer's, Anxiety, Diabetes, Obesity, Schizophrenia, Stroke, Vascular, heart and metabolic disease	Disease models, Drug development, Gene expression, Neuro-stimulation, Optogenetics, Transgenic/knockout models, Basic research, Molecular and cellular biology, Translational research
Dholakia, Saumil MD	Clinician Investigator (NS)	Dementia, Mental health	Artificial intelligence and data science
Fiedorowicz, Jess MD, PhD	Scientist (NS)	Bipolar, Mental health, Suicide, Vascular, heart and metabolic disease	Clinical research, Epidemiology
Hatcher, Simon BSc MBBS MMedSc MD FRCPC FRANZCP MRCPsych	Scientist (NS)	Anxiety, Brain and neuromuscular disease, COVID-19, First Nations, Inuit and Métis Health, Health equity, Mental health, Traumatic brain injury, Depression, Health in disadvantaged peoples, Suicide	Clinical research, Digital and mobile health, Health economics, Health professional behaviour change, Health research methods, Health services research, Health technology, Knowledge translation and implementation research, Patient engagement, Prevention, Public health, Qualitative methods, Clinical trials, Cluster randomized trials, Epidemiology, Psychology, Systematic reviews
Hutton, Brian MSc, PhD	Senior Scientist (MIR)	Addiction, Anxiety, Breast cancer, Depression, Health equity, Health in disadvantaged peoples, Maternal and fetal health, Mental health, Population health, Suicide, Cancer	Clinical research, Cohort studies, Epidemiology, Health research methods, Health services research, Patient safety, Public health, Rapid reviews, Biostatistics, Clinical trials, Systematic reviews
Martin, David MD	Clinician Investigator (NS)	Mental health	Quality Improvement
Solmi, Marco MD, PhD, Psychiatrist	Clinician Investigator (NS)	Addiction, Anxiety, Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Autism, Bipolar, Dementia, Depression, Mental health, Schizophrenia, Suicide	Clinical research, Clinical trials, Cluster randomized trials, Cohort studies, Epidemiology, Health research methods, Neuro-stimulation, Pharmacology, Pragmatic trials, Surveys, Systematic reviews
Walker, Lisa PhD, C.Psych	Clinician Investigator (NS)	Anxiety, Autoimmune disease, Autoimmune diseases of the nervous system, Brain and neuromuscular disease, Dementia, Depression, Mental health, Multiple sclerosis	Behaviour, Biomarkers, Clinical research, Exercise, Imaging, Psychology, Psychometrics, Rehabilitation, Stem cells, Systematic reviews, Translational research

Related Resources

The Ottawa Hospital Mental Health Program

Mental health research at The Ottawa Hospital: Addiction, Anxiety, Bipolar, Depression, Schizophrenia, Suicide

Search for clinical trials at The Ottawa Hospital related to this disease or condition.