
Help us build a world where mental health and physical health are treated equally.
Every day, we devote our energy to accelerating the development, validation and integration of technology and adopting innovative, non-pharmacological approaches to prevent and treat mental health disorders.
Get involved


News
A reality that affects us all
Mental health disorders impact the entire population:
6 million
Canadians will suffer from mood disorders during their lifetime, and just half will consult a specialist.
51 billion
dollars are spent annually on mental health issues in Canada, including workplace productivity losses.
700,000
people visit emergency rooms each year with mental health problems.
4.4 %
of the global population is affected by depression, the world’s leading cause of disability.
We believe that traditional approaches to mental health can be revolutionized.
Our Project Support Services
The purpose of our project support services is to accelerate the development of digital technologies in the mental health field and to facilitate the scientific validation process. Our researchers benefit from personalized support, methodological tools and reference materials that are designed and chosen to meet their specific needs. Support is available for a single component of a project or throughout the entire journey, from refining your ideas at the outset to the launching and updating of the developed technology to ensure its longevity.

DEFINING A PROJECT

PLANNING

TECHNOLOGICAL DESIGN

VALIDATION PROCESS

PROMOTION AND LONGEVITY

DEFINING A PROJECT

PLANNING

TECHNOLOGICAL DESIGN

VALIDATION PROCESS

PROMOTION AND LONGEVITY
Our work has already made big impacts
The projects we’ve developed generate concrete results that encourage us every day to further our research.



Telepsychotherapy
Telepsychotherapy allows patients to receive effective psychotherapeutic treatments when they don’t have access to specialized professionals.
STRONGER THAN BULLYING
This mobile application provides support to youth who’ve been affected by bullying, giving them information and strategies to deal with the situation.
Avatars and virtual reality
This treatment method is promising to mitigate the impact of auditory hallucinations on schizophrenic patients who are resistant to the usual therapies.
iSMART
The app was developed by mental health researchers to aid people in managing chronic stress.
Getting Better My Way
This self-management support tool can help people living with anxiety, depression or bipolar disorder.
SecurApp
SecurApp was created for persons of the age of majority in Quebec and Canada who want to have access to a support when experiencing difficult situations.
Our team
The Axel Center consists of a co-management and an advisory committee.
The Chairs
The Centre Axel is run jointly by Stéphane Guay, Research Director of CR-IUSMM, and Stéphane Vial, Researcher at CR-IUSMM.

Stéphane Guay Co-director, Centre Axel

Stéphane Vial Co-director, Centre Axel
Make a real difference
We believe that technology can play a major role in helping people accept mental health issues and making treatment more accessible and effective. Many challenges lay ahead still and we need your help to go further. To learn more about fund governance, visit the Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Montréal Foundation website.