depression

Practice tip (for BC practitioners) utilizing PathwaysBC beyond specialist lookups — finding patient handouts, requisitions, point-of-care tools

By Drs. Tracy Monk, Nick Graham, Karin Kausky, Michele Thomasse, and Ryan Gallagher on March 22, 2022

We all used PathwaysBC.ca to help us find specialists for our patients, to look up wait times and what information to include in a referral, but we learned that Pathways could help streamline our clinical work in so many more ways.

Parkinson’s disease: burden of non-motor problems

By Dr. Darly Wile on April 3, 2019

What I have found is that while it can sometimes be assumed that motor problems are the patient’s “biggest problem”, this is often not the case; instead, I now make a point of asking the patient, and their family directly: “What is the biggest problem for you right now?”

Anxiety disorders among pregnant and postpartum women

By Nichole Fairbrother on March 20, 2019

Unwanted, intrusive thoughts of accidental harm to one’s infant are reported by 100% of new mothers, and unwanted, intrusive thoughts of intentionally harming one’s infant are reported by 50% of new mothers. Ask specifically about unwanted, intrusive thoughts of infant-related harm. Educate pregnant women and normalize the occurrence of the thoughts. Reassure women that, in the absence of any additional risk factors for child abuse, disclosure of these thoughts will not result in any action on the part of the care provider/physician.

Measurement of depressive symptoms improves outcomes in primary care

By Dr. Randall White on July 8, 2015

Simple use of a self-rated symptom checklist can double the odds of response to antidepressant medication in primary-care patients.

This app changed my practice: Mindshift App

By Dr. Daniel Dodek on March 18, 2015

Mental health problems including anxiety, depression and stress make up a large proportion of a typical day in primary care medicine. They also contribute a huge comorbid burden in specialty care. These conditions all require an intense amount of time to help and manage patients.

Depression in the elderly

By Dr. Maria Chung on September 10, 2012

Depression can have devastating effects on the elderly and their families. Moreover, it is often under recognized, as it can present atypically, with agitation/ anxiety, somatic symptoms, or cognitive and functional decline rather than sadness and withdrawal.

Screening for depression in pregnancy using the Edinburgh Depression Scale

By Dr. Karen Buhler on April 16, 2012

The EDS is a highly sensitive screening tool administered in less than 10 minutes and can be distributed before the encounter.

Self-management of mood problems

By Dr. Dan Bilsker on April 11, 2011

Innovative forms of service delivery have the potential to greatly expand the scope of depression intervention. Series of self-management workbooks designed to teach depressed individuals evidence-based skills for mood management, available for free download from http://www.comh.ca/selfcare/.