Quality measures for primary mental healthcare: a multistakeholder, multijurisdictional Canadian consensus.

Objective: To develop quality measures using a consensus-based, multistakeholder process to improve delivery of mental health services within primary healthcare settings.

Methods: A three-stage consensus model culminating in a two-round, modified Delphi postal survey ranking quality measures according to 'actionability,' relevance and overall importance.

Participants: More than 800 people from all 10 provinces and three territories in Canada participated in the study, representing consumers/advocates, clinicians, academics and government decision-makers from regional, provincial and federal levels.

Prevalence and incidence studies of anxiety disorders: a systematic review of the literature.

Objective: To present the results of a systematic review of literature published between 1980 and 2004 reporting findings of the prevalence and incidence of anxiety disorders in the general population.

Method: A literature search of epidemiologic studies of anxiety disorders was conducted, using Medline and HealthSTAR databases, canvassing English-language publications. Eligible publications were restricted to studies that examined age ranges covering the adult population.

Increase in schizophrenia incidence rates: findings in a Canadian cohort born 1975-1985.

Background: Results from previous studies on the incidence rates for schizophrenia are inconsistent, with some showing a declining rate [e.g., Suvisaari et al.

Modern antipsychotic drugs: a critical overview.

Conventional antipsychotic drugs, used for a half century to treat a range of major psychiatric disorders, are being replaced in clinical practice by modern "atypical" antipsychotics, including aripiprazole, clozapine, olanzapine, quetiapine, risperidone and ziprasidone among others. As a class, the newer drugs have been promoted as being broadly clinically superior, but the evidence for this is problematic. In this brief critical overview, we consider the pharmacology, therapeutic effectiveness, tolerability, adverse effects and costs of individual modern agents versus older antipsychotic drugs.

Is remission of depressive symptoms in primary care a realistic goal? A meta-analysis.

Background: A primary goal of acute treatment for depression is clinical remission of symptoms. Most meta-analyses of remission rates involve randomized controlled trials (RCTs) using patients from psychiatric settings, but most depressed patients are treated in primary care. The goal of this study was to determine remission rates obtained in RCTs of treatment interventions for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) conducted in primary care settings.

Prevalence studies of substance-related disorders: a systematic review of the literature.

Objective: To present the results of a systematic review of literature published between January 1, 1980, and December 31, 2000, that reports epidemiologic estimates of substance-related disorders.

Method: We conducted a literature search of substance-related epidemiologic studies, using medline and HealthSTAR databases and applying a set of predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria to identify relevant studies. We extracted and analyzed prevalence and incidence data for heterogeneity.

Prevalence and incidence studies of mood disorders: a systematic review of the literature.

Objective: To present the results of a systematic review of literature published between January 1, 1980, and December 31, 2000, that reports findings on the prevalence and incidence of mood disorders in both general population and primary care settings.

Method: We conducted a literature search of epidemiologic studies of mood disorders, using Medline and HealthSTAR databases and canvassing English-language publications. Eligible publications were restricted to studies that examined subjects aged at least 15 years and over.

Using administrative data to analyze the prevalence and distribution of schizophrenic disorders.

Objective: In order to effectively plan and implement psychiatric services, a clear estimate of the prevalence and distribution of the population in need is required. The authors examined the use of administrative data as a means of estimating the prevalence and distribution of schizophrenic disorders.

Methods: Administrative health services data for residents of the Canadian province of British Columbia in the age range 15 to 65 years (total population in 1997-1998 of 2,703,588) were examined over a three-year period.

Prevalence and incidence studies of schizophrenic disorders: a systematic review of the literature.

Objective: To present the results of a systematic review of the literature published between January 1, 1980, and December 31, 2000, that reports findings on the prevalence and incidence of schizophrenia and related disorders.

Method: We conducted a literature search of schizophrenia-related epidemiological studies, using Medline and HealthSTAR databases and canvassing English-language publications. We used a set of predetermined inclusion-exclusion criteria to identify relevant studies.

Enhanced tactile encoding and memory recognition in congenital blindness.

Several behavioural studies have shown that early-blind persons possess superior tactile skills. Since neurophysiological data show that early-blind persons recruit visual as well as somatosensory cortex to carry out tactile processing (cross-modal plasticity), blind persons' sharper tactile skills may be related to cortical re-organisation resulting from loss of vision early in their life. To examine the nature of blind individuals' tactile superiority and its implications for cross-modal plasticity, we compared the tactile performance of congenitally totally blind, low-vision and sighted children on raised-line picture identification test and re-test, assessing effects of task familiarity, exploratory strategy and memory recognition.