Ask Ontario Doctors: Growing demands for mental health services after pandemic

Ask Ontario Doctors: Growing demands for mental health services after pandemic

Ontario Medical Association media briefing with a panel of doctors discussing the impact the pandemic has had on Ontarian’s mental health.

The Panel Members:

Dr. Renata M. Villela has a c community practice in Thornhill, focusing on long-term psychotherapy. She is also President and Psychotherapy Initiative Lead for the Ontario Psychiatric Association and Vice-Chair of the OMA Section on Psychiatry.

Dr. Simron Singh is a medical oncologist at the Odette Cancer Centre, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and an assistant professor at the University of Toronto. He is the provincial head and clinical lead for the person-centered care strategy at Cancer Care Ontario. He is a member of the OMA’s Burnout Task Force.

Javeed Sukhera MD, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Paediatrics at the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University Canada. He is also a Scientist at the Centre for Education Research and Innovation at Western University. He practices in the Paediatric Chronic Pain and Child and Adolescent Mental Healthcare Programs at London Health Sciences Centre. His interdisciplinary research program explores novel approaches to stigma reduction and bias recognition and management in health professionals. He is routinely interviewed by local and national media for his expertise on bias, stigma, equity, and wellness. He is also involved in numerous committees and councils at local, national, and international levels. He is Chair of the London Police Services Board, and a former member of the Association of American Medical Colleges Board of Directors. He is also Past President of the Ontario Psychiatric Association.