Despite the prevalence of eating disorders and their long-term impacts, access to evidence-informed care remains limited. Many community-health professionals feel unprepared to assess or treat eating disorders and therefore rely on already strained specialized services.
On June 15, 2026, the Eating Disorders Continuum (EDC) of the Douglas Mental Health University Institute organized an online webinar for clinicians across Quebec. Offered free of charge and accessible online, this event was designed for health professionals with little or no experience in eating disorders who wished to deepen their knowledge and strengthen their clinical practice.
Participants first attended a presentation by Dr. Linda Booij, clinician-researcher at the EDC and Full Professor at McGill University. Entitled “Eating Disorders: Key Concepts in Clinical Practice”, this presentation offered a structured introduction to eating disorders. Participants then had the opportunity to choose a small-group breakout session led by other EDC clinicians allowing them to explore a specific eating-disorder-related topic. The four themes offered were: medical risks and medical management, nutritional interventions, cognitive-behavioural therapy, and the role of the social worker in eating-disorder services.
In total, over 100 clinicians participated in the event, representing 16 regions of Quebec, from major urban centres such as Montreal, Quebec City, and Outaouais to more remote regions including Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Bas-Saint-Laurent, Côte-Nord, and Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean.
Through this initiative, the EDC aims to strengthen knowledge of eating disorders among health professionals working in community settings across the province, helping to improve access to evidence-informed care.
For information on upcoming training events organized by the EDC, please contact: cta.formation.comtl@ssss.gouv.qc.ca