Made right here: Five ways The Royal is transforming mental illness and addiction care in Canada

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Care and research at The Royal doesn't just serve Canadians; it contributes to better care around the world.

At The Royal, our teams have delivered many Canadian firsts in care, treatment, and research, and we continue to lead in areas where progress is urgently needed.

This work does not happen in isolation. It's made possible by decades of persistence to drive innovation and change.

Every breakthrough, every Canadian first, brings us closer to the goal of reclaiming lives from mental illness and addiction.

Here are five ways The Royal shapes mental illness and addiction care in Canada.

First in Canada: Stellate Ganglion Block as a treatment for PTSD

The Royal is evaluating a promising treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder called Stellate Ganglion Block (SGB).

Our research is a Canadian first. Informed by the lived experience of veterans and backed by donor funding, participants are now being recruited from across the country.

First in Canada: Ground-breaking brain imaging

The Royal is leading the nation with the creation of a revolutionary brain imaging research platform—the first of its kind in Canada—setting a new standard in mental illness care and discovery. This cutting-edge platform gives researchers an unprecedented, integrated view of the brain. This leap forward in brain science will drive earlier diagnoses, more precise treatments, and better outcomes for people living with mental illness.

A health care worker with a client in her own home.

“Most” in Canada: A new generation of geriatric mental health care

The Royal is home to the largest concentration of geriatric psychiatrists in the country. Working across hospitals, homes, and communities, this team brings proactive, informed support to older adults living with mental illness and dementia. With a focus on collaboration, early intervention, and a patient-first approach, The Royal’s leadership in this area is filling an important gap in the continuum of care.

Learn more about geriatric mental health care that’s improving lives today and shaping the future of care for tomorrow.

First in Canada: Feeling Safe brings life-changing care to people with psychosis

The Royal was the first in Canada to bring a leading-edge cognitive behavioural therapy into clinical care for people living with psychosis. Developed at Oxford University, the Feeling Safe program helps patients overcome persistent fears that fuel distressing symptoms by helping them regain their sense of security and confidence.

Now, The Royal is building on this work through research and expanding access even further by testing group-based delivery and sharing knowledge with other providers.

First in Canada: Ketamine as a treatment option for depression

The first Canadian clinical trials of ketamine as a treatment for depression were conducted at The Royal. The discovery of ketamine's antidepressant effects has been hailed as one of the most significant breakthroughs in the past half-century, and we are proud to have been the first to see this value for our patients.