Mind Full: The Canadian Psychological Association podcast

The 1964 rape and murder of Kitty Genovese, and the sensational reporting around it that claimed 37 New Yorkers had witnessed the attack but done nothing to help, elevated the idea of the "bystander effect" into the mainstream. The parallels between the Genovese case and the Cornell gang rape case are obvious, but what IS the "bystander effect", and how can we encourage people to become "moral rebels"? Dr. Catherine Sanderson is a professor at Amherst College in Massachusetts and the author of 'Why We Act: Turning Bystanders Into Moral Rebels'. Why We ACT: Turning Bystanders Into Moral Rebels https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-bystander-effect-the-psychology-of-courage-and-how-to-be-brave-catherine-sanderson/4c7aed072dd5dc1f?ean=9780674271111&next=t Dozens of men failed to stop an alleged gang rape at Cornell – here’s the misperception that keeps bystanders from intervening and how to short‑circuit it https://theconversation.com/dozens-of-men-failed-to-stop-an-alleged-gang-rape-at-cornell-heres-the-misperception-that-keeps-bystanders-from-intervening-and-how-to-short-circuit-it-293321 Are heroes born or made? Role models and training can prepare ordinary people to take heroic action https://theconversation.com/are-heroes-born-or-made-role-models-and-training-can-prepare-ordinary-people-to-take-heroic-action-274505

Campus sexual violence has been in the news of late, with a good deal of focus on the institutional responses to on-campus incidents. The response is important, but the responsibility of the institution extends to prevention as well. Bailey Reid is the Senior Advisor on Gender and Sexual Violence Prevention and Support at Carleton University. She and her team recently released the book "New Adventures, New Paths", aiming to teach young boys emotional intelligence and model positive masculinity. The book is a series of short stories written by Carleton Ravens athletes in collaboration with Carleton's Equity and Inclusive Communities. Note - this episode was recorded before the Cornell story broke, which is why we didn't mention it. New Adventures, New Paths: https://goravens.ca/general/2026-27/releases/20260821cafbms Department of Equity and Inclusive Communities: https://carleton.ca/equity/

Cancel culture has been around for centuries, maybe for as long as human beings have been around. Today, though, it’s a lot more visible. It also (appears to be) a lot more pervasive than it ever has been before. Dr. Anne Wilson joins the Mind Full podcast to discuss this phenomenon, as well as the myriad of other ways in which our cultural divides get exacerbated. Dr. Wilson's lab: https://www.annewilsonpsychlab.com/ Tale of two tweets (cancel culture left & right) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38084428/ Claims of censorship/forbidden knowledge https://journals.sagepub.com/share/2UF7ABSWWNNYWXDKVPVM?target=10.1177/01461672241288332 Polarization in the current media / social media landscape https://www.econstor.eu/handle/10419/334431 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352154620301078 Trust in media and polarization in COVID-19 masking/public health https://compass.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/spc3.12794 Losing trust in previously trusted sources of information and the generalized decline in trust https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0321743 Van Bavel funhouse mirror paper https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39369456/ Sawaoka et al, The paradox of viral outrage (that people sympathize with bad behaviour when they see an internet pile-on) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30091685/

As Canadians continue to struggle with high rates of mental illness and shortages of specialists such as psychologists, the CPA released the report “Increasing Access, Reducing Costs and Improving Outcomes: maximizing psychologists’ contributions to Canada’s publicly funded health care systems”. The report outlines five key strategies to help close critical gaps in access and ensure that those in need receive timely, cost-effective, evidence-based psychological care. Dr. Lesley Graff and Dr. Sean Kidd are two of the lead authors on the report, and they join the podcast to talk about the current state of the psychologist workforce in the healthcare system, and where we can go from here. Full report: https://cpa.ca/docs/File/Advocacy/RandR%20WG%20Report%20EN%202026-Final-June-23-2026.pdf Press release: https://cpa.ca/docs/File/Advocacy/CPA%20RRWG%20News%20Release%20Final%20May%2021%202026.pdf England's NHS Talking Therapies: https://www.england.nhs.uk/mental-health/adults/nhs-talking-therapies/

Dr. David Dozois describes depression as the "common cold" of mental disorders, in that it is one of the most common, and that it can happen to people in all circumstances in all walks of life. But what to do when it’s not you, but your partner, who has depressive symptoms? Dr. Dozois joins Eric to talk about his new book "What to Do When Your Partner Is Depressed: Supporting Your Loved One While Caring for Yourself". Find the book at Guilford Press: https://www.guilford.com/books/What-to-Do-When-Your-Partner-Is-Depressed/David-A-Dozois/9781462557554 Find the book and the Kindle version on Amazon: https://www.amazon.ca/What-When-Your-Partner-Depressed/dp/1462557554

There are significant gaps in the way our healthcare system deals with pain, especially for women. This gap in attention and care is particularly acute when it comes to women veterans. The Chronic Pain Centre of Excellence for Veterans and the Canadian Pain Society are working to raise awareness of the issue of a gender gap in pain treatment for veterans. On April 13th, they convened a first of its kind national roundtable, bringing together researchers, clinicians, funders, government, industry leaders, and women with lived experience. Dr. Patricia Poulin and Dr. Alice Aiken join the Mind Full podcast to talk about the roundtable, chronic pain, and the specific case of women veterans. News release "National Action Urged to Address Chronic Pain Crisis Among Women and Women Veterans in Canada": https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2026/06/08/3308178/0/en/national-action-urged-to-address-chronic-pain-crisis-among-women-and-women-veterans-in-canada.html Report "Women & Women Veterans: Advancing Women’s Health National Roundtable 2026": https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/69b5871f66aa32c42388e2d6/6a1f301a7b910a62e7e02667_CPCoE%20Roundtable%20Report_prefinalv2-compressed.pdf Power Over Pain Portal: https://poweroverpain.ca/ Chronic Pain Centre of Excellence for Canadian Veterans: https://www.veteranschronicpain.ca/ Canadian Institute for Military and Veteran Health Research: https://cimvhr.ca/ Connected Care for Canadians Act: https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/news/2024/06/the-government-of-canada-introduces-the-connected-care-for-canadians-act-improving-patients-safety-and-access-to-their-health-information.html BILL S-243 - An Act to establish a national framework for women’s health in Canada: https://www.parl.ca/DocumentViewer/en/45-1/bill/S-243/first-reading

For a long time - decades, maybe even centuries - we have been led to believe that there is a correlation between artistic genius and serious mental health issues. Certain painters, composers, and musicians have been mythologized for their mental health struggles as well as for the art they produce. One of the biggest problems with perpetuating this myth is that young artists today often internalize it, preventing them from seeking help when they may need it most. Florence Khoriaty is a psychology student who recently presented her research on this subject at the CPA's 2026 convention in Montréal. She is also a well-known singer-songwriter, radio presenter, and artist who speaks from a wealth of personal experience. Soundcheck: Mental Health in the Canadian Music Industry – National Report https://www.revelios.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Soundcheck-Final-Report-1.pdf C'est formidable! with Florence K https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-214-c-est-formidable

"We did NOT disprove ghosts!" Today on Mind Full, we are speaking with Dr. Rodney Schmaltz, who recently had a study he led at MacEwan University go somewhat viral. People do love the paranormal! Dr. Schmaltz talks about the whirlwind that comes with having a study suddenly catch the attention of the public, and about the study itself. You know how sometimes you get a creepy, hair-on-the-back-of-your-neck feeling in some older buildings? It may not be ghosts - it may be infrasound! Infrasound exposure is linked to aversive responding, negative appraisal, and elevated salivary cortisol in humans: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/behavioral-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnbeh.2026.1729876/full?ref=404media.co Dr. Schmaltz on Quirks & Quarks: Do old buildings give you the creeps? New research could explain haunted feelings https://www.cbc.ca/radio/quirks/infrasound-paranormal-9.7209127 In The Guardian: Spooky feelings in old houses may be caused by boiler sounds, study suggests https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/apr/27/spooky-feelings-in-old-houses-may-be-caused-by-boiler-sounds-study-suggests

The "glass cliff" is a term that refers to people who get promoted to leadership roles – with a catch. Women and minorities get promoted to top roles, but only in circumstances where the organization is in dire straits or in crisis, setting them up to fail. Dr. Mel Rutherford took on one of those glass cliff roles – and, against long odds, found a way to not only succeed in the position, but to thrive. The Glass Cliff: One Transman's Leadership Odyssey: https://www.wiley.com/en-us/shop/psychology-general/the-glass-cliff-one-transman's-leadership-odyssey-p-9781394368679

Psychologists play an important role in the care of all kinds of medical conditions. Sheila Garland joins the Mind Full podcast to talk about her role in helping people going through cancer treatment. She highlights the importance of having trained mental health professionals in as many healthcare settings as possible.