Collaborative care for primary care treatment of late-life depression in Singapore: Randomized controlled trial.

Background: The effectiveness and portability of the collaborative care model in the primary care treatment of depression has not been demonstrated in many randomized controlled trials in healthcare settings across the world. We determined the effectiveness of collaborative care management of elderly depression in the primary care setting in Singapore.

Method: Eligible participants with depressive symptoms were randomized to 6-month duration usual care (UC, N = 112) or collaborative care (CC, N = 102).

Results of a real-world study on vortioxetine in patients with major depressive disorder in South East Asia (REVIDA).

Objective: The REVIDA study aimed to assess the evolution of major depression symptoms in South East Asian (SEA) patients treated with vortioxetine for major depression in real-world clinical practice.

Methods: This non-interventional study was conducted from August 2016 to April 2017. A total of 138 patients (aged 18-65 years) with an active episode of major depression were recruited from Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.

Ministry of Health clinical practice guidelines: schizophrenia.

The Ministry of Health (MOH) has updated the clinical practice guidelines on Schizophrenia to provide doctors and patients in Singapore with evidence-based treatment for schizophrenia. This article reproduces the introduction and executive summary (with recommendations from the guidelines) from the MOH clinical practice guidelines on Schizophrenia, for the information of readers of the Singapore Medical Journal. Chapters and page numbers mentioned in the reproduced extract refer to the full text of the guidelines, which are available from the Ministry of Health website: http://www.

Criterion-based validity and reliability of the Geriatric Depression Screening Scale (GDS-15) in a large validation sample of community-living Asian older adults.

Background: Few studies have evaluated the validation of 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15) in a heterogeneous population with different age, ethnicity and comorbidities of elderly users of social services in the community.

Aims: To assess the criterion validity and reliability of the GDS-15 and its equivalence across different gender, age groups, ethnicity and different comorbidities in community living elderly and nursing homes residents.

Method: A validation sample of non-demented 4253 elderly (age > or = 60 years), who regularly use community based care corner, senior activity center, day care center, sheltered homes and nursing homes were interviewed using the GDS-15.

Improving treatment access and primary care referrals for depression in a national community-based outreach programme for the elderly.

Background: Mental illness is highly prevalent and disabling, but is under-treated. Outreach services attempt to overcome system and personal barriers to care, but there are few reports of their effects in improving access and use of mental health services. In the Community-based Early Psychiatric Interventional Strategy (CEPIS) programme in Singapore, community nurses routinely screened seniors for depressive symptoms, and provided psychoeducation and referral for primary care treatment.