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Research Studies and Recruitment

The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health has a large and diverse research program that frequently requests the assistance of volunteers to participate in a variety of scientific studies.  These studies can help determine how medicine or treatment work in people, and may provide scientists with new and improved ways to prevent, detect, identify, manage, and treat mental illness and addictions. 

This page lists studies registered by researchers who are currently seeking volunteer participants.  We invite you to browse through the Adobe [pdf] files below to search for studies that may interest you. New studies are often added.

Studies Investigating Mood and Anxiety Disorders

  • Postpartum Depression Brain Imaging Study - Have you recently given birth and are you currently experiencing bouts of crying, energy loss, or feelings of hopelessness? Are you pregnant with a history of postpartum depression? If so, you may be eligible to participate in a brain imaging study investigating the causes of postpartum depression. Please click here for more information.

  • Depression relapse study -- ways to prevent or reduce the risk of relapse after treating the current episode of depression (PDF only; 85 kb)

  • Everything seems so hopeless -- Sound familiar? If you think you are depressed, you may be eligible to participate in our psychotherapy treatment study. Please see Treatment Study for Depression (PDF only) for more details.

  • Participate in the Blue Sky Project: a treatment research study for young people with first-time major depression. (PDF Only)

  • Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) Depression Treatment Study.This study will explore repetitive TMS as a new potential treatment for those individuals diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder who have not responded to medication treatment. Visit TMS Study for more information. (PDF Only)

  • CAMH's Mood and Anxiety Program is conducting a study investigating a specific type of yoga that has been shown to reduce symptoms of depression.  This study will examine whether or not this type of yoga, in addition to current medications, will be helpful in reducing symptoms of depression, as compared to psycho-education.  If you are currently experiencing symptoms of depression, please call 416-260-4209 for more information or click here. (PDF only).

  • Volunteers over age 60, who are currently depressed and not taking antidepressant medication are needed for a research study. The purpose of the study is to learn more about brain chemistry in older adults with depression and the relationship to changes in mood symptoms, attention and memory problems.  If you are interested in this study, please call (416) 535-8501 ext. 7389 or click here (PDF only) for more information.

  • Do you have bipolar disorder, and are you over 60 years of age? Investigators in the Geriatric Mental Health are conducting a study for which you may be eligible.  Visit Acute Pharmacotherapy of Late-life Mania or Information Sheet for more information. (PDFs only)

  • The Geriatric Mental Health Program is doing a study called Cognition in Euthymic Older Adults with Bipolar Disorders. This study will investigate how bipolar disorder affects memory, attention, and other cognitive abilities in middle-aged and older adults. It will include two groups of participants. Visit participants living with bipolar disorder or participants not living bipolar disorder for more information. (PDFs only)

  • Healthy volunteers are need to take part in a research study using a brain imaging technique called Positron Emission Tomography (PET). The study will evaluate a new PET marker that will help us learn more about a chemical system in the brain called the serotonin system. To find out more please call: (416) 535 8501 ext. 1666 or email 5HT6study@camhpet.ca.  More information is also available at PET Study. (PDF only)

  • Participants are needed for a research study on the effectiveness of cognitive behavioural therapy (psychotherapy) for obsessive compulsive disorder. Brain activity will be measured before and after treatment using imaging (i.e. this does not involve any radiation or chemicals). If you are interested in this study, please call 416-260-4209 or click here for more information. (PDF only)

  • Participants are needed for an ongoing study on Mood Disorders and Behaviour.  Please click here for information. (PDF only)

Studies Investigating Psychosis

  • The PREDICT study (PDF only; 423.8 kb), conducted by the Prime Clinic, is looking at improving the ability to identify individuals who may be at risk of developing a psychotic illness.

  • Join the Schizophrenia Registry  (PDF only; 114 kb)

  • Do you have a diagnosis of Schizophrenia or Schizoaffective Disorder (depressed type)? The Schizophrenia Genetics Research Study (PDF only) conducted by the Neurogenetics Section is looking to identify genetic factors that may contribute to these disorders.

  • The ADAPT Study (PDF only) compares two psychological treatments for individuals at risk of developing a psychotic illness.

  • Volunteers are needed to participate in a pilot study examining changes in brain chemistry that may be related to behavioral symptoms in dementia. This may lead to more effective ways to treat psychosis when it occurs in patients with dementia. Visit Serotonergic Status in Psychosis Due to Dementia: a Pilot Study for more details. (PDF only)

  • The Geriatric Mental Health program is seeking volunteers for a study investigating dopamine function in older people, using Positron Emission Tomography (PET). If you are 50 years of age or older, you may be eligible to participate in this pilot study.  For more information visit Are you Taking Risperidone and Are you 50 Years of Age or Older or Healthy Volunteers Needed for more information. (PDFs only)

  • Participants needed for genetics study. The purpose is to understand how the brain changes with age, and to determine if there are differences in how parts of the brain are connected in healthy individuals, compared to individuals with psychotic disorders. Visit A Diffusion Tensor Imaging and Genetics Study of Psychosis Across the Lifespan for more details. (PDF only).

  • We are looking for healthy volunteers interested to participate in a positron emission tomography (PET), brain imaging research study to measure the level of a brain chemical called dopamine in response to a challenging mental task. Visit dopamine PET study for more information. (PDF only)

Studies Investigating Substance Use

  • The STOP Study is for subjects who are willing to participate in the study and receive up to 10 weeks supply of nicotine replacement therapy. Visit www.stopstudy.ca for more information. 

  • Smokers wanted for brain imaging study. Click here for more information (pdf only).

  • CAMH scientists are researching how friends and family members are affected by having a loved one who uses illicit drugs.  Click here for more information on this study. (pdf only)

Special Interest Studies

  • The Alva Preschool Temperament Study (PDF only), conducted by CAMH and the University of Toronto, explores how temperament may relate to other aspects of development and genetic factors as assessed by DNA.

ID#1385 -SP
Content updated: July 07, 2008 9:54 AM
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