The Social Aetiology of Mental Illness (SAMI)

The Social Aetiology of Mental Illness [SAMI] was a post-doctoral research fellowship training program situated at CAMH and the University of Toronto. The training program was developed and directed by Dr. Kwame McKenzie and Dr. Samual Noh. It was funded through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research's Strategic Training Initiatives in Health Research and ran annually from September 2010 until August 2015. The SAMI training program included a 10-week didactic course followed by 40 weeks of mentored personal and collaborative research.

The curriculum was aimed at complementing fellows' existing education by offering training in the knowledge, skills and attitudes required to become a world class independent researcher in issues related to the social determinants of mental illness and addiction. The training program covered the scope and theories of the social aetiology of mental illness, philosophy of social research, ethics of social research, research methods, grant writing and collaborative research. The program provided the opportunity for researchers to engage in knowledge exchange through free conferences and webinars. 

Although the SAMI training program has ended, it was envisioned that collaboration would continue in further years. This website is a respository of information, guidelines, and resources for future researchers interested in an in depth appraoch to the social aetiology of mental illness.