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An outstanding Canadian mental health program, the McMaster Regional Mood Disorders Program of Hamilton Psychiatric Hospital in Hamilton, Ontario, was one of two winners of APA's Gold Achievement Award presented last month at the Institute on Psychiatric Services in Los Angeles.
Program director Trevor Young, M.D., Ph.D., received the award with Russell Joffe, M.D., dean and vice president of McMaster University's faculty of health sciences.
Young later told Psychiatric News, "It was really an honor and privilege to receive the award, which points to the strength of the team members in our mood disorders program."
The program provides comprehensive and individualized assessment, treatment, and rehabilitation for patients with mood disorders throughout central west Ontario. Young mentioned that the hospital program and several outpatient clinics located at Hamilton Psychiatric Hospital and at satellite sites serve about 800 patients annually and provide about 1,500 consultations to primary care providers, outpatient clinics, and social agencies. There is also a 14-bed inpatient unit.
"It's been a very interesting journey transforming a traditional psychiatric hospital into a more dynamic community program that meets the mental health needs of patients and adapts to the changing trends of service delivery," said Young.
The change has enabled the program to do more with a stable amount of funding, $2.5 million from the Ontario Ministry of Health. External funds come from the Medical Research Council of Canada, nonprofit foundations, and pharmaceutical companies.
The program also integrates biological and clinical research interests, said Young. "Many psychiatrists here, including myself, have a basic science interest. A lot of ideas are generated from our laboratory. For example, a main research focus is looking at how mood stabilizers affect the gene expression in animal models. The clinical correlate is looking at what happens to patients on mood stabilizers long term and how to keep people well and intervene early."
Recent research projects have included inpatient and outpatient pharmaceutical trials, psychotherapy trials, and a study of rapid transcranial magnetic stimulation, according to the October issue of APA's journal Psychiatric Services.
A unique feature of the program is a national toll-free information line known as the Depression Information Resource and Education Centre Toll-free (DIRECT). It provides expert information on mood disorders for clinicians and consumers on such topics as psychiatric diagnoses, treatment, and drugs. The toll-free phone number, launched in 1996, received more than 12,000 calls in the first month alone, according to the article. The phone number (which can be used only in Canada) is (888) 557-5050, ext. 800.
The multidisciplinary program staff, who include psychiatrists, psychiatric social workers, and nursing staff, also conduct educational outreach activities in surrounding communities, such as teaching in local clinics and inviting local staff to do case rounds at the hospital, said Young.
More information about McMaster's Regional Mood Disorders Program is available by calling Young at (905) 575-6014, ext. 4909, or sending him e-mail at pkavan@fhs.mcmaster.ca.