Guelph, Ontario, October 17, 2022: Today, Homewood Health announces the launch of its Interventional Psychiatry Service (IPS), featuring cutting-edge treatment options for individuals suffering from treatment-resistant depression and other mental health conditions. Interventional Psychiatry is an emerging subspecialty within Psychiatry that encompasses various neuromodulation treatments such as Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) and Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS), as well as novel psychotherapeutic agents such as ketamine. Homewood’s IPS delivers on its pledge to consistently provide innovative approaches to mental health and addiction treatment, combining evidence-based treatments, measurement-based care, and Homewood’s deep expertise in mental health.
The three treatment options available under Homewood’s new IPS are as follows:
Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)- a highly effective modality that has been used for decades in treatment-resistant depression, as well as other conditions like bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. ECT provides a rapid response and very high remission rates in individuals who have not responded to other treatments.
Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS)- a Health Canada-approved, safe and non-invasive therapy for individuals suffering from treatment-resistant depression, having suboptimal response to traditional antidepressant treatments or intolerable side effects to medications. rTMS works by directly stimulating specific areas of the brain with targeted brief magnetic pulses to improve the functioning of important brain circuits involved in regulating mood.
Ketamine- Ketamine has been widely and safely used as an approved anesthetic agent in Canada for decades. In more recent years, ketamine has been extensively studied in lower doses in the treatment of mental health conditions, including Major Depressive Disorder. Intranasal esketamine (Spravato®) is now a Health Canada approved treatment for adults with Major Depressive Disorder who have not responded adequately to at least two separate trials of antidepressant medications. Intravenous ketamine, used off-label, has been shown to be a highly effective treatment for people suffering from difficult-to-treat depression and acute suicidal ideation. Intravenous ketamine has the advantage of offering 100% bioavailability and it contains a balance of both enantiomers of (S)-ketamine and (R)-ketamine.
“This new initiative reaffirms Homewood’s position at the forefront of clinical excellence for mental health practices in Canada,” says Homewood’s CEO Jagoda Pike on the launch of the IPS. Dr. Carlos Lalonde, the new President of Homewood Health Centre, echoes CEO Pike’s sentiment- “Our focus is to always deliver new initiatives that are on the leading edge of mental health and addiction treatment.”
While rTMS and Ketamine are not covered under OHIP funding, these treatments will be offered free of additional charge to patients currently admitted to inpatient programs at the Homewood Health Centre or at The Residence at Homewood. Homewood also currently offers ECT, a fully OHIP-funded treatment to patients who meet specific criteria.
For further information on Homewood’s IPS, the Admitting Office can be contacted at 1-866-839-2594, Mondays through Fridays (excluding holidays) from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM EST, or an online form. Physicians with inquiries on these treatment services may connect with an IPS lead at InterventionalPsychiatryService@homewoodhealth.com.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Amrita Maharaj-Dube
Manager, Corporate Communications
Homewood Health
Contact: 226 962 3288
Email: amdube@homewoodhealth.com
