Mental Health (Ph.D.)
Offered by: Psychiatry (Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences)
Degree: Doctor of Philosophy
Program Description
The Ph.D. in Mental Health, which is rooted in a strong tradition of multidisciplinary research approaches, focuses on the development of mental health services and policy, social and cultural psychiatry, and clinical and transnational psychiatry. Students are exposed to a rich body of knowledge in psychiatry and mental health research methods by participating in regular academic activities organized by different units of the Department of Psychiatry, such as weekly research seminars, global mental health rounds, Indigenous mental health workshops, the Summer Program in Cultural Psychiatry, and the conferences and workshops organized by the Advanced Study Institute in Cultural Psychiatry.
Note: For information about Fall 2025 and Winter 2026 course offerings, please check back on May 8, 2025. Until then, the "Terms offered" field will appear blank for most courses while the class schedule is being finalized.
Thesis
A thesis for the doctoral degree must constitute original scholarship and must be a distinct contribution to knowledge. It must show familiarity with previous work in the field and must demonstrate ability to plan and carry out research, organize results, and defend the approach and conclusions in a scholarly manner. The research presented must meet current standards of the discipline; as well, the thesis must clearly demonstrate how the research advances knowledge in the field. Finally, the thesis must be written in compliance with norms for academic and scholarly expression and for publication in the public domain.
Required Courses (6 credits)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| PSYT 605 | History and Philosophy of Psychiatry . | 3 |
History and Philosophy of Psychiatry . Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Philosophical and historical perspectives on the construction of scientific knowledge in psychiatry, including mental illness and disorders and corresponding evolution of various forms of treatments. | ||
| PSYT 606 | Mental Illness: Symptoms Diagnostics and Determinants. | 3 |
Mental Illness: Symptoms Diagnostics and Determinants. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A broad perspective on mental illness, from diagnostic approaches to mental health policies. Examination of symptoms and diagnostic criteria of mood disorders, psychoses, and addictions and impulsivity disorders. Medication- and therapy-based treatments and recent developments in mind-body approaches. Epidemiology and social determinants of mental illness, and mental health prevention, services and policy. | ||
| PSYT 701 | Comprehensive Exam Mental Health. | 0 |
Comprehensive Exam Mental Health. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Mandatory comprehensive exam for all students enrolled in the Mental Health Ph.D. program, and must be completed by the end of the second year. The results of the examination determine whether or not students will be permitted to continue in the program. | ||
Complementary Courses (3 credits)
3 credits from the following or 3 credits of 500 level or higher from another unit chosen in consultation with the student's academic advisor or supervisor:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| PSYT 500 | Advances: Neurobiology of Mental Disorders. | 3 |
Advances: Neurobiology of Mental Disorders. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Current theories on the neurobiological basis of most well known mental disorders (e.g. schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, dementia). Methods and strategies in research on genetic, physiological and biochemical factors in mental illness will be discussed. Discussion will also focus on the rationale for present treatment approaches and on promising new approaches. | ||
| PSYT 515 | Advanced Studies in Addiction. | 3 |
Advanced Studies in Addiction. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Critical assessment of research tools, reported data, and theoretical perspectives on drug addiction, with an emphasis on multi-factorial and inter-disciplinary approaches. | ||
| PSYT 620 | Trends in Clinical Psychiatry. | 3 |
Trends in Clinical Psychiatry. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A review of the major psychopathologies, the theories that underlie them and their treatment. | ||
| PSYT 625 | Qualitative Research in Health Care. | 3 |
Qualitative Research in Health Care. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Discussion and practice of qualitative methodologies for conducting rigorous and reflective qualitative research projects in health care sector including ethnographic fieldwork and community interviews. | ||
| PSYT 630 | Statistics for Neurosciences. | 3 |
Statistics for Neurosciences. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Statistics needed for analysing the types of data generated in a laboratory setting, with emphasis on the neurosciences, will be covered. Hypothesis testing, parametric and non-parametric statistics will be studied with a practical approach, using data generated by the students. Computer analysis will be introduced. | ||
| PSYT 633 | Social and Cultural Research Methods. | 3 |
Social and Cultural Research Methods. Terms offered: Summer 2025 Introduction to the various research methods commonly used in social and cultural psychiatry, including qualitative, quantitative and mixed-methods approaches, with special attention to the unique challenges of working with people with mental illness. Emphasis is placed on the following: study design, cross-cultural measurement, sampling, recruitment, execution, bias, analysis and dissemination. Classic studies in social and cultural psychiatry will be used as examples to illuminate points made. This course will be held every May as part of the Summer Program in Social and Cultural Psychiatry. | ||
| PSYT 682 | Psychosocial Issues of Disease. | 3 |
Psychosocial Issues of Disease. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The course objective is to provide students with population-level perspectives on psychosocial aspects of chronic health conditions, highlighting the interactions between mental health, social environment, and physical health. Emphasis will be placed on integrating the following topics: affective symptoms and disorders, community factors, lifestyle behaviours, disability and quality of life, and the onset and course of chronic diseases. | ||
| PSYT 696 | Special Topics in Psychiatry. | 3 |
Special Topics in Psychiatry. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Supervised reading and discussion of selected issues and topics in contemporary psychiatry. Students will be responsible for assigned readings and for preparation of a graded paper. | ||
| PSYT 711 | Cultural Psychiatry. | 3 |
Cultural Psychiatry. Terms offered: Summer 2025 Topics covered: cross-national epidemiological and ethnographic research of major and minor psychiatric disorders; culture-bound syndromes and idioms of distress; culture, emotion and social interaction; psychological and symbolic healing; mental health of immigrants and refugees; psychiatric theory and practice as cultural constructions; methods of cross-cultural research. | ||
| PSYT 713 | Psychiatric Epidemiology. | 3 |
Psychiatric Epidemiology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An overview of the applications of epidemiology in psychiatry, including instruments and methods used in community studies; major recent population surveys of psychiatric disorders; study of treatment-seeking, pathways to care and use of services; interaction between psychological distress and physical health; methods used in specific populations; evaluation of treatment. | ||