NOW UPDATED: Ontario Health’s Major Depression: Care for Adults and Adolescents quality standard (updated
in 2024, originally published in 2016) addresses care for people who have
major depression or who are suspected to have major depression. The quality
standard applies to adults and adolescents aged 13 years and older, and it
considers all care settings. It does not apply to people with postpartum
depression or to children under 13 years of age. This update aligns the
quality standard with the most recent clinical evidence and with current
practice in Ontario. You may refer to page 7 on the
Major Depression quality standard for a summary of updates.
Major depression is one of the most common mental illnesses,
imposing a huge human and economic burden on people and society. There are
significant gaps in the quality of care that people with major depression
receive in Ontario. As such, improving care for people with major depression or
who are suspected to have major depression is an urgent issue. The quality
standard includes
12 quality statements addressing areas that have high potential for improving
the quality of care in Ontario for people with major depression.
Below are some tools and resources that may help you
implement the Major Depression quality statements in your practice, organized
by purpose. Many of these tools can be used to support multiple quality
statements.
Are there other tools or resources you use? Do you have
experience implementing these or other tools? If so, please share your thoughts
in the comments section below.
Tools and Resources to Support Clinical Practice
Educational Resources for Clinicians
Tools and Resources to Support People with Major Depression
and Their Families, and Care Partners
- Quality Standard Patient Guide: A resource from Ontario
Health written in plain language for people with major depression, families,
and care partners to better understand and manage the condition
- Antidepressant Medications and Psychotherapy: Webpages from the Centre for Addiction and
Mental Health that provide information in plain language on antidepressant medication
and psychotherapy
- Informed Choices About Depression: A webpage from the Mobilizing Minds Research
Group that provides information about “alternative treatments”: treatments that
can be used in addition to medication or psychotherapy that might help people
with major depression
- BounceBack:
A free skill-building program designed to help adults and youth aged 15 years
and older manage symptoms of depression and anxiety
- CHOICE-D Patient and Family Guide to Depression Treatment:
A guide from the Mood Disorders Association of Ontario and the Canadian Network
for Mood and Anxiety Treatments to help people with depression, families, and
care partners understand the evidence-based treatments available for managing
depression
- ConnexOntario: A 24-hour service that connects people in
Ontario to mental health and addictions support
- Electroconvulsive Therapy: A webpage from the Department of
Psychiatry at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre that provides information in
plain language about electroconvulsive therapy
- MoodFX: An interactive
website people can use to monitor their depression and anxiety symptoms
- Patient Decision Aids: Tools developed by the Ottawa
Hospital to help people with major depression take part in health care decisions
- Understanding and Finding Help for Depression: A webpage
from the Canadian Mental Health Association that provides an overview of
depression in plain language
Other Resources
Ontario Health has developed other quality standards and
patient guides on mental health and addictions and chronic conditions that may be
useful, including: