title: Adequacy of antidepressant treatment by psychiatric residents: the antidepressant treatment history form as a possible assessment tool.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Facility in psychopharmacology is a major goal of psychiatric residency. This study assesses the adequacy of pharmacotherapy provided to depressed patients in a resident clinic.
  
  
  METHODS
  Charts of all 285 patients seen in an outpatient triage clinic during 2000 were reviewed. One hundred twelve patients had diagnoses of major depression, dysthymia, depressive disorder not otherwise specified, adjustment disorder with depressed mood, or bipolar disorder with a documented depressed episode during the studied period. Pharmacotherapy prescribed to these 112 patients was rated using the Antidepressant Treatment History Form (ATHF). Also analyzed were weeks in treatment and Clinical Global Impression (CGI) Severity score assigned retrospectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 112 charts subjected to detailed review, 49.1% documented adequate treatment. Antidepressant Treatment History Form ratings increased with treatment duration. No correlation was found between ATHF ratings and CGI ratings.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results suggest that time retained in treatment is a major factor in treatment adequacy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, North Carolina Baptist Hospital, Winston-Salem, NC, USA. red@geri.duke.edu
authors.forename: Rachel Elizabeth
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Dew
authors.forename: Stephen I
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Kramer
authors.forename: W Vaughn
authors.initials: WV
authors.lastname: McCall
mesh_terms: D000275:Adjustment Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000328:Adult; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004358:Drug Therapy / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019263:Dysthymic Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency; D008297:Male; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000592:standards*; D011570:Psychiatry / Q000193:education*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D000078329:Workforce
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents