Innovations in Clinical Care

This free, interactive online tool summarizes best practices for supporting youth as they manage their depression. The evidence-based clinical resource is meant for primary care providers and other frontline clinicians and takes about 20 minutes to complete. The tool was created by clinician scientists, youth and other experts from the Cundill Centre. Click here to watch a brief video overview of the tool. Click here to access the tool.

This two-page flowchart was developed by the Cundill Centre to help guide health care providers in making treatment decisions for children and youth who have depression. The decision aid builds on the work of the Clinical Practice Guidelines Project, which identified the National Institute for Health Care and Excellence (NICE) guidelines in the U.K. as the best guidelines for young people with depression. The decision aid is meant for health care providers who work with children and youth with depression, including nurses, paediatricians, psychiatrists, family physicians, psychologists, social workers and occupational therapists; it can be modified to fit different environments. Click here to download your copy of the decision aid.

The Cundill Centre has developed an evidence-based integrated care pathway (ICP) for adolescents with depression. ICPs are structured, multi-disciplinary care plans that map the treatment process from start to finish. This Implementation Guide outlines the seven steps of the CARIBOU ICP and includes the materials required to implement the pathway, such as assessment forms and worksheets for youth. The Implementation Guide is meant for health care providers who work with adolescents with mental health concerns and who are interested in learning about or implementing the pathway, administrators and implementation science researchers. Click here to download your copy of the Implementation Guide.

The CARIBOU Pathway by CAMH is an evidence-based integrated care pathway for youth who are experiencing depression.  One of the main components of the CARIBOU Pathway is the CARIBOU Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) program.

The CARIBOU CBT Program is a 16-session intervention for youth who are experiencing depression adapted from the Adolescent Coping with Depression Course.  This program can be delivered individually or in groups.  Youth from the Youth Engagement Initiative updated the language and examples in the manuals to be relevant for today’s youth.  There are four versions of the manual available for different audiences:

• CARIBOU CBT Group Manual for Facilitators
• CARIBOU CBT Individual Manual for Therapists
• CARIBOU CBT Group Manual for Youth
• CARIBOU CBT Individual Manual for Youth

The Cundill Centre for Child and Youth Depression and CAMH Education is now offering the CARIBOU CBT Clinician Training, a course for mental health professionals who want to implement the CARIBOU CBT program in their settings.  Learn more and register on the course page.

Mood Foundations is a four-page package that includes a fact sheet on depression, as well as tips on sleep, exercise and healthy eating. It considers that there are certain habits that are not changeable to youth, as well as other habits that are changeable, but require different amounts of time and effort to modify. This resource is meant for youth. It can also be used by health care providers, teachers and parents to work collaboratively with youth on improving habits to help manage depressive symptoms. The tool was co-developed by youth from the Youth Engagement Initiative at the McCain Centre as part of the CARIBOU project. Click here to download your copy of the Mood Foundations package.

This 23-page tip sheet package is a practical resource to support the mental health and well-being of autistic individuals. Autistic youth designed this package with the support of family caregivers, clinicians, and researchers with experience in providing care and conducting research with autistic youth. This resource is meant for autistic youth, their caregivers and clinicians. The package contains tip sheets on six topics:

• Why We Created this Tool
• Autism and Depression: What can it look like?
• Coping Strategies
• Getting Help
• A Note to Caregivers 
• A Note to Mental Health Professionals

This work was made possible through funding and support from the Cundill Centre for Child and Youth Depression, the Azrieli Adult Neurodevelopmental Centre, and Autism Speaks Canada.

Learn more about the Revised Children’s Anxiety and Depression Scale (RCADS) in our Quick Guide, which outlines how the questionnaire is administered and scored. This tool also proposes a way of using RCADS scores to calculate indicators of change, such as response, remission, recovery, relapse, and recurrence.

Download the guide now.

The ACHWM provides Indigenous communities (e.g., First Nations, Inuit and Métis) and organizations with an overview of the health and well-being status of the children and youth in their communities. The measure offers insight into Spiritual, Emotional, Physical, and Mental wellness and is completed on a tablet. An app is available to Indigenous communities and not-for-profit agencies whose primary focus is to promote the health and well-being of Indigenous children. Learn more and access the app on the ACHWM website. The tool was developed by Laurentian University and the Naandwechige-Gamig Health Centre in Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory, partners of the Cundill Centre.

The International Consortium for Health Outcomes Measurement (ICHOM) has developed a standard set of outcome measures that matter most to children and young people with depression and anxiety. ICHOM is made up of leading global experts, including members of the Cundill Centre, and consists of psychiatrists, psychologists, mental health experts, measurement experts, and lived experience experts. The group recommends that providers around the world start measuring the selected outcomes to better understand how to improve the lives of young people. Access the list of outcome measures HERE.

Psychotherapy involves talking with a qualified therapist. Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Brief Psychosocial Therapy (BPI) are two types of psychotherapy that can help reduce symptoms of depression in youth. This handout explains, in simple language, what CBT and BPI are and provides an overview of what their therapy sessions typically involve. It also helps youth choose between group or individual CBT based on their values, answers frequently asked questions about psychotherapy, and outlines how young people can know if psychotherapy is working for them. This resource is meant for youth. It can also be used by health care providers or other supports in young people’s lives to help explain different psychotherapy options. The tool was developed by youth from the Youth Engagement Initiative in partnership with a psychiatrist as part of the CARIBOU project.

Click here to download your copy of the Psychotherapy and YOUth resource.

Research has shown that a type of antidepressants, called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), can help reduce the symptoms of depression in young people. This handout explains, in simple language, what SSRIs are, when youth might see the benefits and what side effects, if any, can occur. It also provides tips on how to take the medication. This resource is meant for youth. It can also be used by health care providers, pharmacists or other supports in young people’s lives to help explain SSRIs to youth. The tool was developed by youth from the Youth Engagement Initiative in partnership with a psychiatrist and a pharmacist as part of the CARIBOU project. 

Click here to download your copy of the Medication for YOUth resource.

Problem-solving training is a component of several evidence-based therapies for youth depression, or can be a free-standing intervention. This information sheet for health care providers and policy decision-makers gives an overview of problem-solving training, and summarizes key findings and implications based on a review of the evidence for problem-solving as an effective treatment ingredient for youth depression. Researchers, clinicians and youth partners from the Cundill Centre conducted this review and developed this resource, with funding from the Wellcome Trust. Click here to download your copy of the information sheet.

This three-page package helps youth think through their problems by prompting them to describe the situation, as well as their emotions and needs. It takes youth through steps that help them explore solutions, evaluate those solutions, and make a plan of action. This resource is meant for health care providers. It was co-developed by youth from the Youth Engagement Initiative at the McCain Centre as part of the CARIBOU project. Click here to download your copy of the Problem-Solving Worksheets.

This three-page package helps youth examine thoughts that may not be helpful to them. It teaches youth how to change their thoughts by considering alternative ways of interpreting situations. This resource is meant for health care providers. It was co-developed by youth from the Youth Engagement Initiative at the McCain Centre as part of the CARIBOU project. Click here to download your copy of the Cognitive Restructuring Worksheets.

This map outlines health and well-being services available to Indigenous children and youth in the greater Sudbury region of Ontario and was developed as part of a larger project to support local referral and treatment processes. Learn more on the ACHWM website. 

The INNOVATE Research: Youth Engagement Guidebook for Researchers is a comprehensive guidebook that walks researchers through the steps of engaging youth in research activities. It was developed by a pan-Canadian team of youth and researchers with experience in youth engagement at all stages of research, from developing the research question through to knowledge translation. 

Visit the Margaret and Wallace McCain Centre for Child Youth & Family Mental Health website to learn more or click HERE to download a free copy.