Depression Update: A Briefing on the Canadian Mood and Anxiety Disorder Treatment (Canmat) 2023 Depression Guidelines and Advice for Their Application in Primary Care

Authors

  • Jennifer Swainson, MD, FRCPC, Psychiatry University of Alberta, Edmonton; American Board of Obesity Medicine

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.58931/cpct.2024.2123

Abstract

The Canadian Mood And Anxiety Disorder Treatment (CANMAT) guidelines for depression, last published in 2016, have now been updated with literature through to 2023, and have been recently published in 2024 (Lam et al , Canadian J Psych, In press 2024). This 92-page document thoroughly addresses aspects of depression management, using evidence based on the literature, and supplemented by an expert consensus of the 57 co-authors. While thorough, this document remains cumbersome for a busy primary care clinician to sort through and apply to everyday practice. Here, we present a summary of evidence for the treatment of depression, along with practical advice for clinical decision making in primary care. 

Author Biography

Jennifer Swainson, MD, FRCPC, Psychiatry, University of Alberta, Edmonton; American Board of Obesity Medicine

Dr. Jennifer Swainson is is a psychiatrist at the Misericordia Community Hospital in Edmonton with expertise in treating difficult mood disorders and their comorbid conditions. Dr. Swainson is certified by the American Board of Obesity Medicine and has interest in the reciprocal relationships between mood disorders, sleep, and obesity and their subsequent treatment considerations when they co-occur. Dr. Swainson has served on several advisory committees to the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta (CPSA) in regard to CPSA tracking of high risk medications, and considerations for safe prescribing of ketamine for depression. Dr. Swainson is a co-author of the Canadian Network in Mood and Anxiety Treatments (CANMAT) 2023 Depression Treatment Guidelines and was lead author of the 2021 CANMAT Task Force Update on Ketamine for Depression. She is involved in clinical research and has authored numerous other publications focused on ketamine and esketamine for depression and has been an advocate for safe and accessible use of ketamine for mood disorders. Dr. Swainson is an active teacher of students and residents, and is a frequent speaker for family physicians on topics of mood and insomnia. 

References

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Published

2024-06-17

How to Cite

1.
Swainson J. Depression Update: A Briefing on the Canadian Mood and Anxiety Disorder Treatment (Canmat) 2023 Depression Guidelines and Advice for Their Application in Primary Care. Can Prim Care Today [Internet]. 2024 Jun. 17 [cited 2024 Dec. 6];2(1):4—10. Available from: https://canadianprimarycaretoday.com/article/view/2-1-swainson

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Articles