The Medical journal of Australia
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Comparative Study
Burnout and psychiatric morbidity in new medical graduates.
To determine the prevalence of psychiatric morbidity and burnout in final-year medical students, and changes in these measures during the intern year. ⋯ Internship remains a stressful time for medical graduates, despite initiatives to better support them during this period. The implications for the doctors themselves and for the communities they serve warrant further attention, including programs specifically aimed at reducing the rate of psychological morbidity and burnout during internship.
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To examine trends in types of antidepressant medications prescribed in Australia between 1975 and 2002. ⋯ The rapid growth in antidepressant prescribing that was characteristic of the early 1990s, and reflected the emergence of new classes of agents, did not continue into the late 1990s. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors now dominate antidepressant prescribing in Australia.
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Comparative Study
General practitioners' response to depression and anxiety in the Australian community: a preliminary analysis.
To examine the uptake by general practitioners (GPs) of the five key components of the Better Outcomes in Mental Health Care (BOiMHC) initiative: education and training for GPs; the three-step mental health process; focussed psychological strategies; access to allied health services; and access to psychiatrist support. ⋯ The level of uptake of the main components of the BOiMHC initiative has expanded the national capacity to respond to the needs of people with common mental disorders, such as depression and anxiety.
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Review Comparative Study
Reducing the burden of depression: are we making progress in Australia?
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To develop a National Depression Index for measuring the depression status of the Australian population. ⋯ The proposed National Depression Index is a valid indicator of depression and level of depressive symptoms. It is suitable for monitoring depression at the population level. The scaling characteristics of the measure ensure that it can be interpreted by members of the general public.