Algorithms to Treat Depression

This week researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas released the results of a longitudinal study with severely depressed patients. The study was entitled the Texas Medication Algorithm Project (TMAP).

"TMAP is a disease-management program that includes algorithms (a set of comprehensive management tools for doctors treating severely mentally ill patients) and other support systems that help the physician make treatment decisions based on a patient's clinical status, history, symptoms and results up to a specific point," said Dr. Madhukar Trivedi, head of the depression and anxiety disorders program at UT Southwestern, associate professor of psychiatry and the study's lead author. "This study, which is the first to show the effectiveness of the TMAP project on depression, is quite powerful and compelling."

Besides mapping out algorithms for depression, TMAP also offers parallel guidelines for treating bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Its organizers hoped the effort could lead to substantial improvements in quality of care and clinical outcomes, along with cost predictability for patients. Read the Full Press Release