Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH)

• ALSO KNOWN AS: Centre de toxicomanie et de santé mentale
• DATE: Established 1998

DEFINITION: The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) is Canada's largest mental health and addiction teaching hospital. It is also an internationally renowned research center in addiction and mental health. CAMH is affiliated with the University of Toronto and is a collaborating center of the Pan American Health Organization and the World Health Organization.

Background

CAMH was formed in 1998 following the merger of the Clarke Institute of Psychiatry, the Addiction Research Foundation, the Donwood Institute, and Queen Street Mental Health Centre. CAMH combines clinical care, research, education, policy, and health promotion to transform the lives of people affected by mental health and addiction issues.

The organization is focused on the assessment and treatment of mood, anxiety, and personality disorders and addictions to alcohol, drugs, and pathological gambling. CAMH’s Forensic Psychiatry Division provides forensic psychiatry and forensic psychology services to patients with severe substance use disorder or mental illness. This program serves as a major research center for these disciplines.

CAMH's central facilities are located in Toronto, in addition to ten satellite facilities within the province of Ontario. The center is affiliated with the University of Toronto. It operates as a collaborating center for the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre and the Pan American Health Organization for mental health and addiction issues.

CAMH offers practical, research-based publications and online resources for professionals and the public. Journals, newsletters, documents, and websites provide updated information on substance use and addiction, mental health, concurrent disorders, trauma, policy research, clinical tools, and health promotion.

Research at CAMH is an integral part of the organization and features three areas of scientific focus: molecular medicine, psychiatric genetics, and clinical and behavioral neuroscience. The research laboratories include a wet lab, an animal facility, two positron emission tomography (PET) scanners, and a cyclotron located in the Brain Health Imaging Centre. Other important CAMH research centers include the Krembil Centre for Neuroinformatics, Slaight Family Centre for Youth in Transition, and the Cundill Centre for Child and Youth Depression.

Several scientists associated with CAMH hold prestigious positions as Canadian research chairs, endowed university chairs, or professorships. Research is conducted in collaboration with national and international neural and social scientists to address global issues related to addiction and mental health.

Mission and Goals

The goal of CAMH is to provide a national leadership network for better awareness, prevention, and care of substance abuse and mental health issues. The organization also advocates for healthcare funding for marginalized groups and the decriminalization of substance abuse. The research generated and the publications produced promote the discovery, sharing, and application of new knowledge that helps to improve the lives of those affected by addiction and mental health problems.

The center's primary mission is to conduct research and develop adequate services. Its research findings and developments are widely disseminated in Canada and internationally. CAMH also ensures that people in Ontario and the rest of Canada can access effective and appropriate services as required in a client-centered practice. In addition to operating numerous facilities, the center provides reliable, easily accessible online resources for the public regarding addiction and mental health.

CAMH promotes continuous learning and evaluation, diversity, collaboration, and accountability. The mission of client-based care incorporates a holistic view of health. It recognizes each patient's unique social, physical, psychological, and spiritual needs. It works to integrate these preferences, needs, aspirations, and cultural beliefs into more effective prevention and treatment programs.

Bibliography

"CAMH – Toronto Discovery District." Toronto Discovery District, torontodiscoverydistrict.ca/camh. Accessed 10 Oct. 2025.

"Centre for Addiction And Mental Health (CAMH)." Toronto Central Health Line, 1 Nov. 2024, www.torontocentralhealthline.ca/displayservice.aspx?id=145030. Accessed 10 Oct. 2025.

Giesbrecht, Norman, et al. Sober Reflections: Commerce, Public Health, and the Evolution of Alcohol Policies in Canada, 1980–2000. McGill-Queen’s UP, 2006.

Moran, James, and David Wright. Mental Health and Canadian Society: Historical Perspectives. McGill-Queen’s UP, 2006.

"Programs & Services." CAMH, www.camh.ca/en/your-care/programs-and-services. Accessed 10 Oct. 2025.

Shilliday, Greg. "The Donwood Institute: Resort of Last Resort." Canadian Medical Association Journal, vol. 128, no. 10, 1983, pp. 1220–21.

"Talking about Mental Illness ." CAMH, www.camh.ca/en/health-info/guides-and-publications/talking-about-mental-illness. Accessed 10 Oct. 2025.

"Visiting CAMH." CAMH, www.camh.ca/en/your-care/visiting-camh. Accessed 10 Oct. 2025.