Show Notes
Rates of depression in Canada are rising, but a new CMAJ guideline advises against universal screening in primary care. The Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care found no evidence that routinely administering depression questionnaires to all adults improves outcomes and raised concerns about false positives, overdiagnosis, and strain on limited mental health resources. Dr. Eddy Lang, lead author of the guideline and professor of emergency medicine at the Cumming School of Medicine, Un...
More from CMAJ Podcasts
One in 20 practising physicians in Canada report a disability always or often, a figure that rises to 17% when intermittent disability is included. These findings come from Prevalence and characteristics of disabilities in physicians in Canada: an analysis of Canadian Census data, a new study in CMAJ. The study is the first nationally representative estimate of disability among practising physicians, drawn from Census data. The findings should inform efforts to improve accessibility and susta...
Polycystic ovary syndrome, or PCOS, is shifting to a new name: polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome, or PMOS. A CMAJ commentary, Polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome: A new name to support better treatment, argues that the old name was framed too narrowly around fertility. The new moniker aims to place metabolic syndrome at the centre of the diagnosis. Dr. Ginevra Mills, a reproductive endocrinologist in Victoria and author of the commentary, says PMOS is driven by systemic insulin re...
On January 31, 2023, the government of British Columbia implemented a temporary, three-year drug decriminalization policy. Under the policy, adults (18 and older) could possess up to a combined 2.5 grams of specified illegal drugs—including opioids, cocaine, methamphetamine, and MDMA—for personal use without criminal charges, prosecution, or confiscation. The policy was intended to reduce the health and social harms of illicit substance use. A new study in CMAJ evaluated changes in drug-relat...
On this episode of the CMAJ Podcast, Dr. Mojola Omole and Dr. Blair Bigham explore new evidence suggesting that rates of psychotic disorders are increasing in younger generations in Canada. Drawing on population-level data and broader psychiatric research, the episode examines how generational trends in psychosis intersect with substance use, social change, and the ongoing youth mental health crisis. Dr. Daniel Myran, a family physician and public health researcher at North York General Hospi...
Despite a range of effective prevention tools, HIV incidence continues to rise in Canada, with stark disparities across ethnicity, gender, Indigeneity and geography. Updated Canadian guidelines on HIV pre- and post-exposure prophylaxis reflect scientific advances since 2017 and address both new formulations and persistent barriers to equitable access. Dr. Darrell Tan, lead author and clinician scientist at St. Michael’s Hospital, outlines several prophylaxis options now available. Daily oral ...