When you find yourself asking, “Is that mood disorder a seasonal mood disorder?” or “How long should I continue pharmacotherapy for seasonal affective disorder?” there are tools available to help. The differential diagnosis and treatment of mood disorders can be aided by several types of evidence-based resources, many of which you can download onto your smart phone from the College Library and slip into your pocket.     

If you want to find information from one place, then you may look to resources such as DynaMed and BMJ Best Practice. Both platforms provide information about etiology and epidemiology along with diagnosis and management, all of which can be navigated through clearly laid out menus. Diagnostic criteria include differentials with quick access to additional information. If you aren’t sure that you’re looking at seasonal affective disorder, you can click over to the depression or bipolar disorder entries for a broader view. As for treatment information, DynaMed offers summaries of the evidence for each treatment, while Best Practice takes a different approach with a streamlined treatment algorithm.  

If you want information on bright light therapy, Clinical Key may be of use. The app offers journal articles and abstracts while the web page contains patient handouts and clinical overviews. The Clinical Handbook of Psychotropic Drugs Online also offers information on bright light therapy, from definition to dosage.

If you are looking for treatment guidelines for depression, Clinical Key will also give you access to those. Closer to home, BC Guidelines has a guideline app.  

For access to these resources and additional information, visit www.cpsbc.ca/library/search-materials/point-of-care-drug-tools [10].
—Chris Vriesema-Magnuson
Librarian

hidden

This article is the opinion of the Library of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC and has not been peer reviewed by the BCMJ Editorial Board.