Programs & Services

Affective Disorders Research Group  - The Centre for Affective Disorders (CfAD)

The Affective Disorders Research Group is a research group at the Centre for Affective Disorders at the Kings College London. It works to understand more about the neurobiological causes of mood disorders (also known as affective disorders); mental illnesses where the normal functioning of mood is disrupted, including clinical depression and bipolar disorder. Much of this work is carried out with patients at the National Affective Disorder Unit, part of South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation’s Trust National Division. Patients from across the country are referred to this service with treatment resistant depression, seasonal affective disorder and manic depression. The Affective Disorders Research Group is led by Professor Anthony Cleare.

Child and Adolescent Mood Program (CHAMP) - Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

The Child and Adolescent Mood Program (CHAMP) is part of the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia that treat a variety of conditions including depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, disruptive mood dysregulation disorder and frequently co-occurring conditions such as ADHD. Possible treatment options may include supportive therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), interpersonal therapy (IPT), group therapy, or medication to help manage your child’s symptoms

When a person calls to make an appointment with CHAMP, you’ll speak with an intake coordinator. This person will ask questions to help assess whether your child may be depressed. You will be asked about things like your child’s sleeping and eating habits, his energy levels, and whether he’s been feeling lonely or angry. We will also ask about any additional medical conditions your child may have. These questions help us determine what kind of care your child may need. If we think that your child would benefit from CHAMP, your intake coordinator will schedule two appointments: an evaluation appointment and a feedback appointment. After these sessions, we will provide recommended next steps for treatment and a plan for follow-up care. Learn more about what to expect at these appointments.

Clinical Depression - Schizophrenia Society of New Brunswick

Defeat Depression Virtual Walk/Run - Lived Experience and Recovery Network (LERN)

The Defeat Depression Campaign provides hope and reduces stigma for people who are affected by depression and other mood disorders. Across Canada, mental health organizations, community groups, caring companies and concerned volunteers are planning walks, runs, rides and other physical and social activities to raise awareness and funds for mental health initiatives. The objectives of the Defeat Depression national campaign are to:

• Fundraise in support of mental health services
• Raise awareness, knowledge and acceptance of mental illness
• Reduce stigma and create an environment that encourages people to come forward for early intervention and treatment
• Build a mental health network and increase collaboration across communities
• Provide resources and supports for individuals living with mental illness and their families
• Grow the campaign to new communities across Canada

Depression Research Cente - The Royal Mental Health Care

The Depression Research Centre is a world class research institute and one of the largest providers of mental health care in Canada that is bringing together world-renowned clinicians, leading-edge science and state-of-the-art technology to provide more accurate diagnosis and faster and more efficient treatment for people with depression. Studies at the Centre have already shown double the remission rates in six weeks for patients with treatment-resistant depression. For both researchers, the Depression Research Centre offers an exciting opportunity for a unique collaboration that integrates pharmacology and braining imaging to treat patients very intensely. 

Depression Treatment - Cerebral

The new telehealth wave is making it more convenient and safe to seek treatment remotely. Speaking with a prescribing provider online is quick and easy to access from anywhere through your phone or computer. Receiving a prescription right at your door (also known as an e-prescription) ensures you never have to go out of your way to pick it up or forget to stop at the pharmacy on the way home from work.

Telehealth services usually have their own patient portals. Making an account is as simple as signing up. After signing up, there will be an option to schedule a time:

• Speak to a provider within 1-3 days: with Cerebral, new members typically speak to a provider within 1-3 days. Unlike in-person doctor's appointments, telehealth appointments don't have wait times of weeks or months. Your provider will go through symptoms, medical history, allergies, and current medication to determine the right treatment for you.
• Get your prescription fast: prescription is delivered to your doorstep after you and your provider determine a course of treatment. Your provider will make sure to explain why you are receiving a particular treatment and what you can expect going forward.
• Reach your Care Counselor or provider easily: keep track of how your treatment is working by messaging regularly with your mental healthcare professionals. At Cerebral, there will also be monthly check-ins with your Care Counselor, where you're free to discuss how you've been feeling and possible strategies on how to manage your emotions.
• Keep things private and confidential: with telehealth, care is right at your fingertips and at your discretion. Have your meetings at work or at home while taking care of your kids. Remote healthcare fits into your schedule, wherever you are.

Ultimately, remote depression and anxiety treatment is safe, secure, and discreet. It's easy to access and manage through your own portal. Cerebral is dedicated to your mental health, and our providers and therapists are a one-stop place for all you might need for mental healthcare.

Depression, Suicide and E-Health - The Joint Action on Mental Health and Wellbeing (JA MH-WB)

The Workpackage on Depression, Suicide, including E-Health are to build on outcomes of 2008 European Pact for Mental Health, and the new WHO Mental Health Strategy. Proposed recommendations for action include:

• Taking action against depression and to prevent suicide in different target groups (adolescent, young adults, middle age and older people), implementing evidence-based interventions including e-mental health and improving sustainability of good practices
• Disseminating best practices, putting evidence-based tools to action in different communities
• Mediating the impact of economic crises on depression and suicide, focusing on most vulnerable groups
• Promoting trans-national approaches to e-support for minority groups present in more European countries
• Optimizing cooperation between professionals and civil society organizations
• Integrating e-health interventions into the package of health services and clinical practice of health professionals
• Taking further the outcomes of past and ongoing European projects (e.g. SEYLE, WESTAY, SUPREME, IMHPA, EMIP, EAAD, MONSUE, OSPI-Europe, EUREGENAS, MHPHands, PROSPECT, PREDI-NU, PROYOUTH)
• Scaling up involvement of local and international networks, strengthening their cooperation and promoting their sustainability
• Encouraging and supporting key stakeholders for knowledge transfer, education and dissemination of best practices
• Promoting monitoring, quality control and sustainability of evidence-based actions agaist depression and suicide

The expected output of the working group on Depression, Suicide, including E-Health is:

• Report with Situation analysis and Recommendations for action against depression and suicide including use of e-health.
• An analysis of current situation and with recommendations on activities, including the use of E-health,
• To be developed by MS and EU agencies that may contribute to the implementation of policies against depression and suicide in Europe.
• The recommendations will be adapted to the varying levels of resources available in countries.

Discovery Centre - COMPASS Pathways

The Discovery Center is a sponsored research agreement with University of the Sciences in Philadelphia (USciences) that focuses on developing optimised psychedelic and related compounds targeting the 5-HT2A receptor, which is believed to mediate the potential therapeutic effects of psychedelics. We will be a joint owner and exclusive licensee for all new compounds generated during the project.

Early/Mid-Career Researcher Sub-Committee (EMCR) - Australiasia Society for Bipolar and Depressive Disorders (ASBDD)

The EarlyMid-Career Researcher Sub-Committee (EMCR) is a sub-committee consisting of early/mid-career researchers interested in supporting their peers and promoting early/mid career researchers through the ASBDD. It aims to foster early/mid-career ASBDD members through a variety of channels to provide a support network for ASBDD early/mid-career researchers through ASBDD membership, provide an avenue for early/mid-career researchers to voice their concerns in regards to psychiatric research and the activities of the ASBDD, pprovide peer support and/or mentoring for early/mid-career researchers and provide an avenue of communication and promotion from early/mid-career researchers back to the ASBDD regarding ASBDD supported projects.

Healthy Volunteers Study - COMPASS Pathways

As part of our psilocybin therapy development programme, we partnered with the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King’s College London to run a study with healthy volunteers. The study was a phase I, double-blind placebo-controlled study with 89 healthy volunteers, aged between 18 and 65 years. Initial results from the study were presented at the ACNP 2019 annual meeting (see poster). The results showed that psilocybin was well-tolerated when administered to healthy adult volunteers with support from specially trained therapists 

Investigator-Initiated Studies - COMPASS Pathways

Investigator-initiated studies aims to change mental health outcomes and help those who have not been helped by other treatments. To support this, we work in collaboration with select academic institutions and researchers around the world. We provide our cGMP (clinical Good Manufacturing Practice – the highest manufacturing grade) COMP360 psilocybin to researchers free of charge, in exchange for the right to use safety data. Researchers are expected to cover packaging and shipping costs with our logistics provider. For these investigator-initiated studies (IISs), we also provide support with regulatory submissions.

These IISs are signal-generating, exploratory studies looking at indications in areas of unmet need, including anorexia, bipolar disorder II, body dysmorphic disorder, chronic cluster headache, major depressive disorder, and severe treatment-resistant depression. The IIS programme is currently full and we will update this page when we are open for new applications.  

mHealth Project - Africa Mental Health Research & Training Foundation

mHealth was a project that aimed at evaluating the applicability of a model that utilized mobile technology to train, supervise, support and monitor application of mhGAP-IG depression module on non-mental health workers. mHealth successfully developed and utilized a mobile phone application software version of the WHO Mental Health Treatment Gap Intervention Guide (mhGAP-IG) to screen and manage depression in patients attending four rural health centers.

Mobile Substance Use Intervention for HIV Prevention - Africa Mental Health Research & Training Foundation

Mood, Anxiety and Personality Clinical Academic Group  - The Centre for Affective Disorders (CfAD)

Mood, Anxiety and Personality Clinical Academic Group is run by the Centre for Affective Disorders at Kings College Longon. The South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM) runs four IAPT services for depression and anxiety in the London boroughs of Southwark, Lewisham, Lambeth and Croydon (Professor André Tylee undertakes clinical work at the Southwark IAPT).  All four IAPT services come under the management umbrella of the Mood, Anxiety and Personality Clinical Academic Group (MAP-CAG), a structure set up to facilitate greater collaboration between clinicians working in NHS services run by SLaM and researchers at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN).  

Professor Tylee is academic director of the MAP-CAG, working with researchers from a range of departments at the IoPPN and mental health professionals working in SLaM's assessment and treatment teams (formerly called community mental health teams), psychological therapy teams, specialist services for people with personality disorders and specialist services for people with emotional and anxiety disorders. All these services are also managed via the MAP-CAG. 

Overcoming Depression - Schizophrenia.Com

Psilocybin therapy - COMPASS Pathways

Psilocybin therapy is an approach being investigated for the treatment of mental health challenges. It combines the pharmacological effects of psilocybin, a psychoactive substance, with psychological support. Psilocybin is an active ingredient in some species of mushrooms, often referred to as ‘magic mushrooms’. We have developed a synthesised formulation of psilocybin, COMP 360, and are investigating the effectiveness of psilocybin therapy, initially in treatment-resistant depression.

Early studies conducted in pioneering academic centres have shown signals that psilocybin could be a safe and effective medicine for patients with depression, anxiety, addiction and other mental illnesses, when administered with psychological support from specially-trained therapists.*

They are running a rigorous, large-scale clinical development programme of psilocybin therapy for depression, including a phase IIb study for treatment-resistant depression, across Europe and North America. For more information, see ‘our clinical trials’.bThe psychological support element of the therapy is considered to be as important as the pharmacological effects of psilocybin. All therapists in our research studies are carefully trained through an FDA-approved programme. Learn more about our therapist training programme.

1. Preparation: the therapist and patient get to know each other and form a trusting relationship, so the patient can feel supported and at ease during the psilocybin session.
2. The psilocybin session: the patient lies down on a bed in a comfortable room, designed specifically for the session. They receive a dose of psilocybin in a capsule. During the experience, patients listen to a specially designed music playlist and wear an eye mask, to help them focus internally. The psilocybin experience typically lasts 6-8 hours. A therapist and an assisting therapist are present throughout the session.
3. Integration: patients are encouraged to discuss their experiences of the psilocybin session. The goal is for patients, with guidance from their therapist, to generate their own insights and ideas from the experience to change unhelpful emotional and behavioural patterns.

Our therapist training programme has been designed by leading experts from the fields of psychology, psychiatry and psychedelic therapy research, and approved by the FDA for research purposes.

Stress, Psychiatry and Immunology Lab and Perinatal Psychiatry - The Centre for Affective Disorders (CfAD)

Stress, Psychiatry and Immunology Lab and Perinatal Psychiatry is a program run at the Centre for Affective Disorders and Kings College Longon. The Stress, Psychiatry and Immunology Lab and Perinatal Psychiatry (SPI-Lab) Research Group seeks to understand the body’s response to stress and whether it contributes to the manifestation of psychological symptoms.   The research spans a variety of clinical settings, with a particular emphasis on clinical conditions where there are prominent changes in stress hormones, such as women in the perinatal period (and their infants), depression, first-episode psychosis, and patients with medical disorders such as viral hepatitis and coronary heart disease.   Moreover, the Group and the Laboratory have a strong emphasis on biological and molecular research relevant to mental health, using both biological samples derived from patients’ populations and experimental laboratory models. 

The Group is led by Professor Carmine Pariante, Professor of Biological Psychiatry and Lead Consultant for the Liaison Perinatal Psychiatry Services at King’s College Hospital. Professor Pariante and many members of the Group are based in the James Black Centre, and work closely with the Centre for the Cellular Basis of Behaviour (CCBB). The other members of the group are based in the main Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience building. 

Treatment-Resistant Depression Study - COMPASS Pathways

Treatment-resistant depression’ (TRD) is a term used when people with depression do not respond adequately to at least two different antidepressant medications. Depression is the leading cause of disability and ill health worldwide. Up to two-thirds of people with depression are not helped by the first antidepressant medication they try. Up to a third of people with depression are failed by multiple attempts at treatment.

We received FDA Breakthrough Therapy designation for our programme of psilocybin therapy in treatment-resistant depression in 2018. We are conducting a randomised controlled phase IIb study of psilocybin therapy in 216 patients with treatment-resistant depression in 22 sites across Europe and North America. The study looks at the safety and efficacy of psilocybin therapy in treatment-resistant depression, and aims to determine the optimal dose of psilocybin with three doses investigated.