About this on-demand training
Facilitator: Kyle T. Ganson, PhD, MSW
This training is suitable for:
- Mental Health Professionals: psychotherapists, counsellors, psychologists, social workers.
- Medical Professionals: nurses, psychiatrists, pediatricians, family doctors.
Client category: Professionals who work with individuals 12 years to adulthood
Level of training: Introductory
Trigger Warning: Participating in our programming may evoke powerful feelings and can trigger participants who have experienced personal trauma.
CE hours: 3
Description: This interactive training will explore the growing use of appearance- and performance-enhancing drugs and substances (APEDS), such as whey protein, creatine monohydrate, and anabolic-androgenic steroids, among adolescents and young adults, particularly boys and young men.
APEDS are frequently used to promote muscular development, strength, and physical performance, often in pursuit of the idealized muscular body. Despite perceptions that legal dietary supplements like protein supplements are safe, research reveals significant physical and psychosocial harms associated with their use. These include medical complications, body image distress, and problematic substance use patterns.
The largely unregulated landscape in Canada, alongside widespread promotion on social media, further elevates the risks for young users. Additionally, recent trends indicate that the use of anabolic-androgenic steroids is more common than perceived, with users often experiencing uninformed clinicians and stigma in healthcare settings. This leads to unmonitored use, which may result in impacts on health and well-being that could be avoided with appropriate harm reduction interventions.
The training aims to enhance participants’ knowledge of APEDS use, including prevalence trends, motivations, risk factors, and adverse outcomes. Participants will also explore multidisciplinary screening and treatment approaches, grounded in harm reduction principles. Interactive learning will be emphasized throughout the session.
Learning objectives:
- Define at least 5 types of APEDS and accurately describe their intended purposes in the context of muscular development, strength enhancement, and recovery.
- Identify 3-5 psychosocial and environmental risk factors that contribute to APEDS use among adolescents and young adults.
- Identify 3-5 adverse physical, psychological, and social effects associated with APEDS use.
- Integrate medical, mental health, and substance use perspectives to create assessment and treatment protocols for their practice that support adolescents and young adults who use APEDS, focusing on holistic health, well-being, and harm reduction.
This program was originally recorded on April 10, 2026
Upon registration, participants will receive a confirmation email that includes access information to our on-demand training platform, SickKids Academy Online.
Participants will have access for 90 days from the date they begin the course on SickKids Academy Online.
Following the training, participants are required to complete a quiz to receive the Certificate of Participation.
What our learners have to say about this course
"Given my line of work in adolescent eating disorders, this seminar was extremely educational. It gave me a better understanding of the variety of APEDS that exist and feel more confident discussing these with my patients. I will definitely be incorporating more questions related to this topic in my assessments moving forward!"
- Tzippy Bernstein, Attendee, Steroids and supplements: Navigating adolescent and young adult use of appearance and performance-enhancing drugs and substances for health professionals
Accessibility
We strive to ensure our online learning programs are easy for everyone, everywhere. This on-demand webinar will include automated closed-captioning and transcript.
Disclaimer: The automated closed captioning and transcript are based on the accuracy of the audio recording and may contain some gaps or inaccuracies. They are meant to be an assistive tool and not an official record. Please refer to the original audio/video for full and accurate communication.
If you have other accessibility requirements, please email Mary Anne Van Rooyen at mvanrooyen@sickkidscmhlearning.ca to let us know how we can best support your learning experience.
Continuing Education (CE) Information: SickKids Centre for Community Mental Health Learning Institute is approved by the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) to offer continuing education (CE) hours. Full-day programs equal six CE hours; half-day programs equal three CE hours; for less than half-day programs, one hour of programming equals one CE hour. SickKids Centre for Community Mental Health Learning Institute maintains responsibility for the programs.
Other licensing boards and professional organizations will grant continuing education credits for attendance at their own discretion; participants will need to submit the course outline and Certificate of Participation for their consideration.