Grant: Doctoral Award - Frederick Banting and Charles Best Canada Graduate Scholarships

One of the most prevalent chronic conditions affecting Canadians today is depression--a debilitating illness that severely impairs cognitive, emotional and social functioning. It costs the Canadian economy $14.4 billion annually in treatment costs and work productivity losses, and causes substantial human suffering that results in family dysfunction and increased mortality risk. Currently, most patients diagnosed with depression seek help and treatment exclusively in primary care, either through family physicians or nurse practitioners. Yet, we know little about the type, duration and outcome of treatments commonly prescribed in the primary health care setting. This PhD research will address this gap in knowledge by investigating how electronic medical records (EMR) can be used to monitor the prevalence of depression; examining the type and range of services commonly prescribed to individuals identified as having depression; and, studying gender differences in treatments and services provided to patients diagnosed with depression. Data for this project will be obtained from the Canadian Primary Care Sentinel Surveillance Network--a Public Health Agency of Canada-funded network tasked to build a chronic illness data library based on EMRs maintained by participating family physicians across Canada. The results of this project will inform and enhance the planning and delivery of depression treatment in the Canadian primary care setting.