An Interview with Dr. Thomas Insel, former NIMH Director

“We need to think about more than just the classic medical model borrowed from infectious disease: simple bug, simple drug.”

Today’s conversation on Quick Takes between Dr. David Gratzer and former National Institute of Mental Health Director, Dr. Thomas Insel, delves into what’s right and what’s wrong with the current state of mental health care.

Some highlights of this conversation include:

• acknowledgement that existing treatments work, but the system is not delivering care well.
• treatment tends to focus on drug therapies for symptom reduction rather than on plans for long-term recovery
• care is often unaffordable and unavailable, particularly for those who need it most and are experiencing homelessness
• and the key to recovery involves the three Ps – people, place, and purpose.

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Quick Takes is a production of the Center for Addiction and Mental Health. You can find links to the relevant content mentioned in the show and accessible transcripts of all the episodes we produce online at CAMH.ca.

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