Summary

Mental health issues and addiction are becoming increasingly prevalent, with 1/5 Canadians experiencing mental illness or an addiction. The burden of mental health issues on the Canadian government is 1.5 times that of all cancers combined, and 7 times that of infectious disease.

When dealing with psychiatric emergencies, it is crucial that healthcare providers have quick access to a clear and concise database of best methods and approaches to treat patients suffering from these issues. The McMaster Psychiatry Handbook mobile application is a tool to be used in the clinical setting by healthcare providers, to improve the speed and effectiveness of treatment.

The app provides a mobile version of a handbook developed by McMaster University’s behavioural neuroscience department. The book is a clinical reference that contains evidence supported approaches to psychiatric emergencies, substance intoxication and withdrawal and various psychiatric symptoms.

The app features a user-friendly search option to quickly allow access to medication charts, and core non-pharmacological management methods used by healthcare practitioners worldwide.

Advantages

• Provides constant, mobile access to a clinical database of treatments.
• Useful point of reference for physicians when dealing with psychiatric emergencies.
• Features a user-friendly search function, the ability to bookmark favourites and embedded links to all related content when conducting a search.
• Helps patients to have a resource to help them better understand their own mental health and the treatment they are receiving.