Treatment Guidelines for Mental Health

Last update: 9 November 2009
by Maureen Bell

You will find lists of books and journal articles relating to practice guidelines in the treatment of mental disorders on my bibliographies and reading lists page.

Additional material of interest can be found on my evidence-based medicine page.

Material which relates to service guidelines and standards is on my administration page

A Guide to the Development, Evaluation and Implementation of Clinical Practice Guidelines
The document emphasises the importance of basing guideline recommendations on the systematic identification and synthesis of the best available scientific evidence. It is supplemented with a series of handbooks with further information on the main stages involved in the development of clinical practice guidelines.

I've also done a PubMed search for Health Technology Assessment reports on mental disorders. Health Technology Assessment is a publication of the National Co-Ordinating Centre for Health Technology Assessment, in the UK., and the full text is available free through PubMed. Just click on the title to see an abstract, and link to full text.

TRIP Database
The TRIP Database searches across a range of high-quality medical information and gives direct, hyperlinked access to 'evidence-based' material on the web as well as articles from premier on-line journals such as the BMJ, JAMA, NEJM etc. Sources searched by TRIP

To make this page easier to navigate I've separated some of the guidelines out into broad subject categories. Links to collections of guidelines from various colleges and professional bodies are below, followed by individual subjects

Collections

American Psychiatric Association . Practice Guidelines
Guidelines on a range of disorders. Quick reference guides, and patient and family guides are also available here.

Canadian Psychiatric Association. Clinical Guidelines and Position Papers
A substantial collections of position papers, clinical guidelines and statements of practice.

Criteria for Short-Term Treatment of Acute Psychiatric Illness
A joint publication of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and the American Psychiatric Association, 1996.

Guidelines for Prescribing Psychiatrists in Consultive, Collaborative, and Supervisory Relationships
By Lloyd I Sederer, James Ellison, and Catherine Keyes.
Psychiatric Services, September 1998, 49(9) 1197-1202

Mental Health Guidelines
Behavioral Health Recovery Management, from Fayette Companies and Chestnut Health Systems - a United States behavioural health care services provider.

National Guideline Clearinghouse
The National Guideline Clearinghouse™ (NGC) is a comprehensive database of evidence-based clinical practice guidelines and related documents produced by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) (formerly the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research [AHCPR]), in partnership with the American Medical Association (AMA) and the American Association of Health Plans (AAHP). There is a large list of links to guidelines on the treatment of mental disorders at this site. To access the list you will need to click on the Disease/Condition option.

Practice Guideline and resources for the Treatment of Patients with Delirium
From the American Psychiatric Association.

Research Involving Persons With Mental Disorders That May Involve Decisionmaking Capacity. Volume 1, Report and Recommendations of the National Bioethics Advisory Commission
This is a report produced in December 1998 by the National Bioethics Advisory Commission in the United States.

Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists. Clinical Practice Guidelines
Both consumer and clinical versions of these guidelines are available at this site

Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists. Position Statements
Position Statements are developed by the College on issues of relevance to psychiatry where the College has a public position. They are often used as the basis for answering questions from the media and the general public and in advocating the College’s considered view on certain issues.

Royal College of Psychiatrists. College Reports
Council reports have been formally approved by a meeting of the Council of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, and constitute official College policy. Many of them are available as .pdf files. Some individual titles are listed in other sections of this page.

Treatment Choice in Psychological Therapies and Counselling: Evidence Based Clinical Practice Guideline.
From the Department of Health U.K., February 2001.

Treatment Guidelines for Dissociative Disorders in Adults and Children
Produced by the International Society for the Study of Dissociation.

Victoria's Mental Health Services. Clinical Practice Guidelines
From the Office of the Chief Psychiatrist in Victoria.

What Makes a Good Clinical Guideline?
By Rebecca Broughton, and Barrie Rathbone. This document is available from Bandolier's EBM Glossary
What Is 1(11) 2001

Individual Subjects

Anxiety Disorders, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and Phobias

Click here to search PubMed for practice guidelines on the treatment of anxiety disorders.

Anxiety (NICE)
Guidelines published by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) and the National Collaborating Centre for Primary Care for the NHS in England and Wales on the management of anxiety (panic disorder, with or without agoraphobia, and generalised anxiety disorder) in adults in primary, secondary and community care.
NICE Clinical Guideline CG22

Australian and New Zealand clinical practice guidelines for the treatment of panic disorder and agoraphobia
From the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, clinical guidelines to assist practitioners in making decisions about appropriate health care for specific clinical circumstances.
Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry vol. 37 2003, pp. 641-656

Clinical Practice Guidelines: Management of Anxiety Disorders
Guidelines from the Canadian Psychiatric Association
Canadian Journal of Psychiatry July 2006, vol. 51, Suppl. 2

Depression and Anxiety - Computerised Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CCBT) (NICE)
A Technology Appraisal from the National Institute for Clinical Excellence in the U.K.
NICE Technology Appraisal Guidance No. 51

eMedicine - Anxiety Disorders
eMedicine - Panic Disorder
eMedicine - Phobic Disorders
eMedicine - Social Phobia
eMedicine's professional content undergoes 4 levels of physician peer review plus an additional review by a PharmD prior to publication. The evidence-based content is updated regularly to provide the latest practice guidelines.

Evidence based guidelines for the pharmacological treatment of anxiety disorders: A consensus statement from the British Association for Psychopharmacology
Psychopharmacology, Vol. 19 (6) (2005), 567-596

Guidelines for Assessing and Treating Anxiety Disorders - New Zealand Guidelines Group
The New Zealand Guidelines Group was established by the National Health Committee (NHC) in 1996 as an informal network of expertise and information on guideline development and implementation. Its purpose is to train health and disability professionals and consumers in the development and implementation of evidence-based best practice guidelines.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (NICE)
Obsessive-compulsive disorder: Core interventions in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder and body dysmorphic disorder Guidelines published by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE), and the National Collaborating Centre for Primary Care for the NHS in England and Wales.
NICE Clinical Guideline CG 31

Practice Guideline and Resources for Treatment of Patients with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
A guideline produced by the American Psychiatric Assosiation.

Practice Guideline and Resources for Treatment of Patients with Panic Disorder
A guideline produced by the American Psychiatric Assosiation.

Bipolar Disorder

Click here to search PubMed for practice guidelines on the treatment of bipolar disorder.

Australian and New Zealand clinical practice guidelines for the treatment of bipolar disorder
From the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, clinical guidelines to assist practitioners in making decisions about appropriate health care for specific clinical circumstances.
Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry vol. 38 2004, pp. 280-305

Bipolar Disorder
A Summary of Clinical Issues and Treatment Options, produced by the Bipolar Disorder Sub-Committee of the Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatments (CANMAT) April, 1997.

Bipolar Disorder (NICE)
The management of bipolar disorder in adults, children and adolescents, in primary and secondary care.
NICE Clinical Guideline CG38

Practice Guideline and Resources for Treatment of Patients with Bipolar Disorder (2nd Edition)
From the American Psychiatric Association.

American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Practice Parameters Summaries
Each Summary was published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Details are provided of volume, issue, and date.

Attention Deficit and Hyperkinetic Disorders in Children and Young People
A national clinical guideline. Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN), June 2001.
SIGN Publication No. 52

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: Diagnosis and management of ADHD in children, young people and adults
NICE Clinical Guideline CG72

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) - methylphenidate, atomoxetine and dexamfetamine (review) (NICE)
A Technology Appraisal from the National Institute for Clinical Excellence(NICE) in the U.K., on the use of methylphenidate, atomoxetine and dexamfetamine for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children and adolescents (including a review of guidance TA13)
NICE Technology Appraisal TA98

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in Preschool Aged Children
Hazell, Philip. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in preschool aged children. Adelaide: Australian Early Intervention Network for Mental Health in Young People, 2000 (Clinical approaches to early intervention in child and adolescent mental health, vol. 1)

Best practice guidelines for mental health promotion programs: Children & Youth
From the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Canada's leading addiction and mental health teaching hospital.

Building and Sustaining Specialist Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (June 2006)
Council Report CR137 of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. This report provides guidance to practitioners, managers and commissioners on the capacity and provision of specialist child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) in England, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Evidence is collated from a number of sources, including published and unpublished literature and examples of best practice.

Conduct Disorder in Children and Adolescents
Summary and recommendations of the expert group brought together by INSERM (the French National Medical Research Institute) within the framework of the collective expertise procedure to answer the questions raised by the Caisse Nationale d'Assurance Maladie des travailleurs indépendants (CANAM; French Health Insurance Fund) concerning the screening, management, and prevention of conduct disorder in children and adolescents. INSERM , 2005.

Conduct disorder in children - parent-training/education programmes (NICE)
Parent-training/education programmes in the management of children with conduct disorders. A Technology Appraisal from the National Institute for Clinical Excellence(NICE) in the U.K.
NICE Technology Appraisal TA102

Conduct Disorder: Practice Parameters for Assessment, Treatment, and Prevention
Canadian Journal of Psychiatry October 1999, 44(8), Suppl.

Diagnosis and Management of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in Primary Care for School Age Children and Adolescents
A Health Care Guideline from the Institute for Clinical Systems Improvement, January 2005.

Early Intervention for Anxiety Disorders in Children and Adolescents
Dadds, Mark, Seinen, Anita, Roth, Janet & Harnett, Paul. Early intervention for anxiety disorders in children and adolescents. Adelaide: Australian Early Intervention Network for Mental Health in Young People, 2000. (Clinical approaches to early intervention in child and adolescent mental health, vol. 2)

Early intervention for children with autism spectrum disorders: Guidelines for best practice
By Margot Prior, and Jacqueline Roberts. Canberra, Department of Health and Ageing, 2006. There is also a much larger research document A review of the research to identify the most effective models of practice in early intervention for children with autism spectrum disorders

Early Intervention in Conduct Problems in Children
Sanders, Matthew R, Gooley, Shylaja & Nicholson, Jan. Early intervention in conduct problems in children. Adelaide: Australian Early Intervention Network for Mental Health in Young People, 2000. (Clinical approaches to early intervention in child and adolescent mental health, vol. 3)

Improving access to child and adolescent mental health services: reducing waiting times policy and practice guide (including guidance on the 18 weeks referral to treatment standard)
This joint DH/DCSF guide states how the 18 weeks referral to treatment standard, (NHS Operating Framework for 2009/10) applies to non-emergency consultant-led CAMHS services and pathways. It shows how accessible low-wait CAMHS can be achieved and provides good practice examples. Produced by the Department of Health, Department for Children, Schools and Familes, (U.K.), August 2009.

Mental disorders: Children and adolescents screening and prevention (2002)
Summary and recommendations of the expert group brought together by INSERM (the French National Medical Research Institute) within the framework of the collective expertise procedure to answer the questions raised by the Caisse Nationale d'Assurance Maladie des travailleurs indépendants (CANAM; French Health Insurance Fund) on the detection and prevention of mental disorders in children and adolescents.

New Zealand Guidelines for the Assessment and Treatment of Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder
New Zealand Ministry of Health, July 2001.

Patients as Parents: Addressing the needs, including the safety, of children whose parents have mental illness (June 2002)
Council Report CR105 of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. This report provides a fully referenced and practical summary of key issues involving the interactions and influences between parental psychiatric disorder and child mental health and wellbeing. It promotes an ecological approach in which mental illness is firmly embedded within a family and social context.

Practice Parameters for the Assessment and Treatment of Children and Adolescents with Bipolar Disorder
The complete text of this American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry practice parameter is available on the Child and Adolescent Bipolar Foundation site.

Psychiatric services for adolescents and adults with Asperger syndrome and other autistic-spectrum disorders (April 2006)
Council Report CR136 of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. This report is a consensus view of the psychiatric services required for many with ASD in adolescence and adulthood. The focus is often on diagnosis, but this is only one part of a wider process of multidisciplinary assessment that should then flow on to management. While the report focuses narrowly on psychiatry, it recognises that this is only one part of a more extensive range of services.

The Psychological Adjustment of Children with Chronic Conditions
Swanston, Heather, Williams, Katrina & Nunn, Kenneth. The psychological adjustment of children with chronic conditions. Adelaide: Australian Early Intervention Network for Mental Health in Young People, 2000. (Clinical approaches to early intervention in child and adolescent mental health, vol. 5)

Psychosocial Paediatrics
Position statements from the Canadian Paediatric Society on a variety of topics including early intervention for children with autism, and promoting mental health for children of separating parents.

Depressive Disorders

Click here to search PubMed for practice guidelines for the treatment of depression.

Australian and New Zealand clinical practice guidelines for the treatment of depression
From the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, clinical guidelines to assist practitioners in making decisions about appropriate health care for specific clinical circumstances.
Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry vol. 38 2004, pp. 389-407

Canadian Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Treatment of Depressive Disorders
From the Canadian Psychiatric Association.

Depression (NICE)
Guidelines published by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE), and the National Collaborating Centre for Primary Care for the NHS in England and Wales on the management of depression in primary and secondary care.
NICE Clinical Guideline CG23

Depression and Anxiety - Computerised Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CCBT) (NICE)
A Technology Appraisal from the National Institute for Clinical Excellence in the U.K. (Review of Technology Appraisal 51)
NICE Technology Appraisal TA97

Depression in Children and Young People (NICE)
Depression in children and young people: identification and management in primary, community and secondary care. Guidelines published by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE), and the National Collaborating Centre for Primary Care for the NHS in England and Wales.
NICE Clinical Guideline CG28

eMJA: Effectiveness of complementary and self-help treatments for depression
By Anthony F Jorm, Helen Christensen, Kathleen M Griffiths and Bryan Rodgers
Medical Journal of Australia 20 May 2002, 176 (10 Suppl): S84-S95

eMJA: Treating depression: the beyondblue guidelines for treating depression in primary care
By Pete M Ellis and Don A R Smith
Medical Journal of Australia 20 May 2002, 176 (10 Suppl): S77-S83

Evidence-based guidelines for treating depressive disorders with antidepressants: A revision of the 2000 British Association for Psychopharmacology guidelines
British Association for Psychopharmacology, 2008

Guidelines for the Treatment and Management of Depression by Primary Healthcare Professionals - New Zealand Guidelines Group
The New Zealand Guidelines Group was established by the National Health Committee (NHC) in 1996 as an informal network of expertise and information on guideline development and implementation. Its purpose is to train health and disability professionals and consumers in the development and implementation of evidence-based best practice guidelines.

Major Depression in Adults in Primary Care
A Health Care Guideline from the Institute for Clinical Systems Improvement, May 2006.

Post-Myocardial Infarction Depression
From the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality in the United States. AHRQ Evidence Report/Technology Assessment 123, May 2005.

Practice Guideline and Resources for Treatment of Patients with Major Depressive Disorder
A practice guideline produced by the American Psychiatric Association.

Prodigy Guidance - Depression
PRODIGY is a source of clinical knowledge, based on the best available evidence, about the common conditions and symptoms managed in primary care. It is produced by the Sowerby Centre for Health Informatics at Newcastle in the U.K.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation for severe depression
From the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence.
NICE Guidance Number: IPG242

What are the most effective diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for the management of depression in specialist care?
From the Health Evidence Network (HEN) of the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe.

Drug and Alcohol Abuse

Click here to search PubMed for practice guidelines on the treatment of substance use disorders.

Addiction Guidelines
Behavioral Health Recovery Management, from Fayette Companies and Chestnut Health Systems - a United States behavioural health care services provider.

CSAT Treatment Improvement Protocols
These are best practice guidelines for the treatment of substance abuse from the CSAT (Center for Substance Abuse Treatment) Office of Evaluation, Scientific Analysis, and Synthesis.

Diagnosis and Treatment of Drug Abuse in Family Practice
An American Family Physician Monograph funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, in the United States.

Drug misuse - methadone and buprenorphine (NICE)
Methadone and buprenorphine for managing opioid dependence. A Technology Appraisal from the National Institute for Clinical Excellence in the U.K.
NICE Technology Appraisal TA114

Drug misuse - naltrexone (NICE)
Naltrexone for the management of opioid dependence. A Technology Appraisal from the National Institute for Clinical Excellence in the U.K.
NICE Technology Appraisal TA115

Drug misuse: opioid detoxification
From the Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence in the U.K.
NICE Clinical Guideline 52

Drug misuse: psychosocial interventions
From the Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence in the U.K.
NICE Clinical Guideline 51

Effective Interventions Unit: Integrated Care Pathways Guide 6: Drug Misuse in Acute Psychiatric Settings
From the Effective Interventions Unit, Substance Misuse Division of the Scottish Executive.

eMedicine - Caffeine-Related Psychiatric Disorders
eMedicine - Amphetamine-Related Psychiatric Disorders
eMedicine - Cocaine-Related Psychiatric Disorders
eMedicine - Hallucinogens
eMedicine - Inhalant-Related Psychiatric Disorders
eMedicine - Injecting Drug Use
eMedicine - Nicotine Addiction
eMedicine - Opioid Abuse
eMedicine - Phencyclidine (PCP)-Related Psychiatric Disorders
eMedicine's professional content undergoes 4 levels of physician peer review plus an additional review by a PharmD prior to publication. The evidence-based content is updated regularly to provide the latest practice guidelines.

Guidelines for Recognising, Assessing and Treating Alcohol and Cannabis Abuse in Primary Care - New Zealand Guidelines Group
The New Zealand Guidelines Group was established by the National Health Committee (NHC) in 1996 as an informal network of expertise and information on guideline development and implementation. Its purpose is to train health and disability professionals and consumers in the development and implementation of evidence-based best practice guidelines.

Guidelines for the Treatment of Alcohol Problems
These guidelines were prepared for the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing by the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC), June 2003. The following additional guidelines are also available.

Treating Alcohol Problems: Guidelines for Alcohol and Drug Professionals
Treating Alcohol Problems: Guidelines for General Practitioners
Treating Alcohol Problems: Guidelines for Hospital Staff
The Treatment of Alcohol Problems a Review of the Evidence

Institute of Psychiatry at the Maudsley. Addiction Research Unit. Policy and Guidelines

The Management of Harmful Drinking and Alcohol Dependence in Primary Care
A national clinical guideline. Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN), September 2003.
SIGN Guideline No. 74

Models of Intervention and Care for Psychostimulant Users
Report prepared for the National Drug Strategy. Edited by Amanda Baker, Nicole K. Lee, and Linda Jenner. 2nd. edition. Published for Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing 2004. (National Drug Strategy Monograph Series no. 51)

Practice Guideline and Resources for Treatment of Patients with Substance Use Disorders
Produced by the American Psychiatric Association.

Preventing Substance Use Problems Among Young People: A Compendium of Best Practices
Prepared by: Gary Roberts, Douglas McCall, Andrea Stevens-Lavigne, Jim Anderson, Angela Paglia, Sandy Bollenbach, Jamie Wiebe and Louis Gliksman Coordinated by the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse for the Office of Canada’s Drug Strategy Health Canada, 2002.

The Prevention of Substance Use, Risk and Harm in Australia - a review of the evidence
By Wendy Loxley and others. A report prepared by the National Drug Research Centre and the Centre for Adolescent Health. Published for the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing, 2004.

PRODIGY Guidance - Opioid dependence
PRODIGY is a source of clinical knowledge, based on the best available evidence, about the common conditions and symptoms managed in primary care. It is produced by the Sowerby Centre for Health Informatics at Newcastle in the U.K.

The Treatment of Alcohol Problems: A Review of the Evidence
Prepared for the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing by the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC) Fiona Shand, Jennifer Gates, Julia Fawcett and Richard Mattick, June 2003.

Dual Diagnosis

Assessment and Treatment of Patients with Coexisting Mental Illness and Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse
This was first published by the United States Department of Health and Human Services in 1994. It is number 9 of the Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) Series.

Behavioral Health Recovery Management Service Planning Guidelines Co-Occurring Psychiatric and Substance Disorders
These guidelines (April 2001) were developed for the Behavioral Health Recovery Management project by Dr. Kenneth Minkoff. The project is an initiative of Fayette Companies, Peoria, IL; Chestnut Health Systems, Bloomington, IL; and the University of Chicago Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation.

Best Practices: Concurrent Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders
Prepared by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Canada's Drug Strategy, 2002.

COCE (Co-Occurring Center for Excellence)
COCE was launched by The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) in September 2003. COCE provides technical assistance, training, products, and resources to support the dissemination and adoption of best practices in systems and programs that serve persons with co-occurring disorders.

Comorbid Mental Disorders and Substance Use Disorders: Epidemiology, Prevention and Treatment
Report prepared by the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre for the National Drug Strategy. Edited by Maree Teesson, and Heather Proudfoot. Published for the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing 2003.

Comorbidity of mental disorders and substance use: A brief guide for the primary care clinician
Drug and Alcohol Services South Australia 2008. This monograph provides clinicians with information on how best to manage individuals with comorbid mental disorders and substance use issues. It updates and expands the original comorbidity management guidelines published in 2002.
National Drug Strategy. Monograph series no. 71

Comprehensive Continuous Integrated System of Care (CCISC) Psychopharmacology Practice Guidelines for Individuals with Co-occurring Psychiatric and Substance Use Disorders (COD)
Developed by Kenneth Minkoff, with assistance from Terry Schwartz, Jeff Rowe, and other members of the sychopharmacology Committee of the San Diego County CCISC Project. Based on the psychopharmacology guidelines in Minkoff (2001), Service Planning Guidelines for Co-occurring Psychiatric and Substance Disorders, Illinois Behavioral Health Recovery Management Project. Additional information about CCISC is available here.

Dual Diagnosis Guidelines
Behavioral Health Recovery Management, from Fayette Companies and Chestnut Health Systems - a United States behavioural health care services provider.

Dual diagnosis in mental health inpatient and day hospital settings
Department of Health (UK,) October 2006. This guidance covers the assessment and clinical management of patients with mental illness being cared for in psychiatric inpatient or day care settings who also use or misuse alcohol and/or illicit or other drugs. It also covers organisational and management issues to help mental health services manage these patients effectively.

Expert Paper: Dual Diagnosis of Mental Disorder and Substance Misuse
By Dr Mary McMurran, this paper is one of a series produced by the NHS National Programme on Forensic Mental Health Research and Development.

Mental Health Policy Implementation Guide. Dual Diagnosis Good Practice Guide.
Produced by the U.K. Department of Health, April 2002.

Smoking Reduction and Cessation for People with Schizophrenia - Guidelines for General Practitioners & Management Guide for General Practitioners
From the Mental Health Services in Victoria, guidelines developed by SANE Australia and the University of Melbourne and endorsed by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners and the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists.

Substance Abuse Treatment for Persons with Co-Occurring Mental Disorders
Center for Substance Abuse Treatment. Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP 42). Rockville, MD., Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services, 2005.

Tobacco-Free Living in Psychiatric Settings
A Best-Practices Toolkit. Promoting Wellness and Recovery. July 2007. Developed by the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD) in the United States. Provides practical tips for converting facilities to smoke-free status.

Eating Disorders

Click here to search PubMed for practice guidelines on the treatment of eating disorders.

Australian and New Zealand clinical practice guidelines for the treatment of anorexia nervosa
From the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, clinical guidelines to assist practitioners in making decisions about appropriate health care for specific clinical circumstances.
Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry vol. 38 2004, pp. 659–670

Eating Disorders (NICE)
Guidelines published by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE), and the National Collaborating Centre for Primary Care for the NHS in England and Wales, on core interventions in the treatment and management of anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and related eating disorders.
NICE Clinical Guideline CG9

Eating disorders : Guidelines, reviews, position statements, recommendations, standards
From the Geneva Foundation for Medical Education and Research, a page of links to resources from a number of countries, including Australia.

Guidelines for the nutritional management of anorexia nervosa (July 2005)
Council Report CR130 of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. This report was produced by a multidisciplinary group which included specialists in eating disorders in adults and children, dietitians and experts in clinical nutrition.

Identifying and Treating Eating Disorders
A policy statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics. Pediatrics Vol. 111 No. 1 January 2003, pp. 204-211

Management of Eating Disorders
From the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality in the United States. AHRQ Evidence Report/Technology Assessment 135, April 2006.

Practice Guideline and Resources for Treatment of Patients with Eating Disorders
From the American Psychiatric Association.

Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)

Click here to search PubMed for practice guidelines on the use of ECT.

Clinical and cost-effectiveness of electroconvulsive therapy for depressive illness, schizophrenia, catatonia and mania; systematic reviews and economic modelling studies
By J. Greenhalgh, C. Knight, D. Hind, C. Beverley and S. Walters.
Health Technology Assessment 2005; Vol. 9: No. 9

The ECT Accreditation Service (ECTAS) standards for the administration of ECT
Fourth Edition edited by Joanne Cresswell, Lauren Rayner, Chloë Hood and John O’Sullivan. Fourth ed., Royal College of Psychiatrists, December 2006.

ECT - Electroconvulsive Therapy (NICE)
A Technology Appraisal from the National Institute for Clinical Excellence(NICE) in the U.K., on the use of electroconvulsive therapy.
NICE Technology Appraisal TA59

Electroconvulsive Therapy: Guidelines for Health Authorities in British Columbia
Produced by the Mental Health Evaluation and Community Consultation Unit, University of British Columbia, these guidelines cover patient and family education, clinical applications of ECT by physicians, nurses, and anesthetists, as well as suggestions for charting, professional education, and quality assurance programs.

Ethical Guidelines

In this section I've included links to material on the rights of those with a mental illness. For additional material on codes of professional ethics and bioethical literature see my public health page. For legislation and related literature see my legislation page

Guidelines for the Promotion of Human Rights of Persons with Mental Disorders
Geneva : Mental Disorders Control, Division of Mental Health and Prevention of Substance Abuse, World Health Organization, 1996.

Ethics Codes & Practice Guidelines for Assessment, Therapy, Counseling, & Forensic Practice
This page presents links to therapy, counseling, forensic, and related ethics (and practice) codes developed by professional organizations.

Mental Health Bill of Rights
A joint initiative of mental health professional organisations in the United States to establish principles for the provision of mental health and substance abuse treatment services.

NMHA Postion Statement - The Rights of Persons with Mental Illness
From the National Mental Health Association in the United States.

United Nations General Assembly Resolution on the Protection of Persons with Mental Illness...
The full text of the Principles for the Protection of Persons with Mental Illness and for the Improvement of Mental Health Care, December 1991, can be printed from this site.

Forensic Psychiatry

Community Treatment Orders
Guidelines from the Chief Psychiatrist, Mental Health Branch, Victorian Government Department of Human Services, November 2005.

Detained: SSI Inspection of Compulsory Mental Health Admissions
A report by Alan Watson for the Social Services Inspectorate (SSI) which is part of the Social Care Group in the U.K. Department of Health. London, Department of Health, 2001. As well as the complete document there is a leaflet which highlights key messages, good practice and ways in which services could be improved.

The Expert Paper Series - Forensic Mental Health
A series produced by the NHS National Programme on Forensic Mental Health Research and Development. Includes:-

Expert Paper: Antisocial Personality Disorder: Children and Adolescents
Expert Paper: Mental Illness and Serious Harm to Others
Expert Paper: Prison Healthcare
Expert Paper: Sex Offender Research
The Scope for Preventing Antisocial Personality Disorder by Intervening in Adolescence

National Standards for the Provision of Social Care Services in the High Security Hospitals
London, Department of Health, 2001.

Offender Mental Health Care Pathway
Great Britain, Department of Health, January 2005. Includes best practice templates to guide providers and commissioners on mental health services for those involved in the criminal justice system.

Geriatric Psychiatry and the Dementias

Click here to search PubMed for practice guidelines on the treatment of the dementias.

Click here to search PubMed for practice guidelines on the treatment of mental disorders in old age.

Alzheimer's - donepezil, galantamine, rivastigmine (review) and memantine
Published by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE), and the National Collaborating Centre for Primary Care for the NHS in England and Wales, on drugs for Alzheimer's Disease.
NICE Technology Appraisal TA111

The American Geriatrics Society produces a range of guidelines and position statements. Of particular interest for mental health are:-

Genetic Testing for Late-Onset Alzheimer's
Informed Consent for Research (Dementia) Position Paper
Psychotherapeutic Medications in the Nursing Home
Mental Health and the Elderly

Assessing the Mental Health Needs of Older People
A SCIE (Social Care Institute for Excellence) practice guide. "This Guide gives an overview of information and current practice to all those involved in assessing the social care needs of older people with mental health needs. It is aimed primarily at practitioners undertaking assessments, in particular, those front-line staff who may be the first professional in contact with an older person or their family and friends"

Best Practice Model for the Use of Psychotropic Medication in Residential Aged Care Facilities and Guidelines on the Management of Challenging Behaviour in Residential Aged Care Facilities in New South Wales.
Produced by the New South Wales Health Department August 2000.

Care of Patients with Dementia in General Practice: Guidelines
Prepared by Charles Bridges-Webb, and Jael Wolk, in collaboration with Dimity Pond, and Helena Britt. New South Wales Department of Health, September 2003.

Clinical practice with anti-dementia drugs: a consensus statement from the British Association for Psychopharmacology
Journal of Psychopharmacology 20(6) (2006) 732-755.

Consensus Guidelines for Assessment and Management of Depression in the Elderly
The Consensus Guidelines for the Assessment and Management of Depression in the Elderly have been produced through collaboration between the Centre for Mental Health, NSW Health Department, and the Faculty of Psychiatry of Old Age, Royal Australia and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP). Published by the NSW Health Department, 2001.

Dementia: supporting people with dementia and their carers in health and social care
This guidance represents the view of NICE (National Institute for Clinical Excellence) and SCIE (Social Care Institute for Excellence).
NICE Clinical Guideline CG42

eMedicine - Dementia Due to HIV Disease
eMedicine - Dementia Due to Head Trauma
eMedicine - Huntington Disease Dementi
eMedicine - Parkinson Disease Dementia
eMedicine - Sleep Disorder, Geriatri
eMedicine - Vascular Dementia
eMedicine's professional content undergoes 4 levels of physician peer review plus an additional review by a PharmD prior to publication. The evidence-based content is updated regularly to provide the latest practice guidelines.

Good Practice - Mental Health In Older People
A series of guidelines and checklists from the Health and Social Care Change Agent Team (CAT) in the U.K. Their remit is to provide advice and support on a wide range of issues that affect the care of older people.

Guidance for the Management of Behavioural and Psychiatric Symptoms in Dementia, and Treatment of Psychosis in People with History of Stroke/TIA
Working group for the Faculty of Old Age Psychiatry RCPsych, RCGP, BGS, and Alzheimer’s Society: 22 April 2006

Guideline for the prevention of falls in older persons.
As falls in older people are such an issue I've included this guideline. It is a joint production of the American Geriatrics Society, the British Geriatrics Society, and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, and was published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society in May 2001.

Guidelines for the Support and Management of People with Dementia - New Zealand Guidelines Group
The New Zealand Guidelines Group was established by the National Health Committee (NHC) in 1996 as an informal network of expertise and information on guideline development and implementation. Its purpose is to train health and disability professionals and consumers in the development and implementation of evidence-based best practice guidelines.

The Interface Between the NHS and the Independent Sector in the Care of Older People with Mental Illness
From the Royal College of Psychiatrists, Occasional Paper OP45, 1999 contains specific recommendations on how the care for these people can be improved.

Interventions in the Management of Behavioural and Psychological Aspects of Dementia
From the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network
SIGN Publication Number 22

Practice guide on assessing the mental health needs of older people
From the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) In the U.K., this Guide gives an overview of information and current practice to all those involved in assessing the social care needs of older people with mental health needs.

Practice Guideline and Resources for Treatment of Patients with Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias
A practice guideline of the American Psychiatric Association.

The Primary Care Management of Dementia
These guidelines are produced by the Centre for Health Services research, and Department of Primary Care, University of Newcastle Upon Tyne, and mounted on the National Electronic Library for Health (NeLH) site in the U.K.

Safe to Wander?
Principles and guidance on good practice in caring for residents with dementia and related disorders where consideration is being given to the use of wandering technologies in care homes and hospitals. Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland, 2005.

Services for Younger People with Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias (March 2006)
Council Report CR135 of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. Co-published with the Alzheimer’s Society. (Replaces CR77: Services for younger people with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias.)

What is the effectiveness of old-age mental health services?
From the Health Evidence Network (HEN) of the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe.

Personality Disorders

Expert Paper: Neurobiological Approaches to Disorders of Personality
By Dr Malread Dolan, this paper is one of a series produced by the NHS National Programme on Forensic Mental Health Research and Development.

Expert Paper: Personality Disorders
By Dr Mary McMurran, this paper is one of a series produced by the NHS National Programme on Forensic Mental Health Research and Development.

Practice Guideline and Resources for Treatment of Patients with Borderline Personality Disorder
A practice guideline of the American Psychiatric Association.

Psychological therapies including dialectical behaviour therapy for borderline personality disorder: a systematic review and preliminary economic evaluation
Health Technology Assessment 2006; Vol 10: number 35

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and Disasters

Click here to search PubMed for practice guidelines on the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder, and management of disaster victims.

Australian Guidelines for the Treatment of Adults with Acute Stress Disorder and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
From the Australian Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health.

eMedicine - Acute Treatment of Disaster Survivors
eMedicine's professional content undergoes 4 levels of physician peer review plus an additional review by a PharmD prior to publication. The evidence-based content is updated regularly to provide the latest practice guidelines.

IASC Guidelines on Mental health and Psychosocial support in emergency settings
Geneva, Interagency Standing Committee, 2007.

Mental Health and Mass Violence: Evidence-Based Early Psychological Intervention for Victims/Survivors of Mass Violence. A Workshop to Reach Consensus on Best Practices
National Institute of Mental Health (2002). The report was developed by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) at the National Institutes of Health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Departments of Defense, Justice, and Veterans Affairs, and the American Red Cross.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (NICE)
Anxiety: Management of post-traumatic stress disorder in adults in primary, secondary and community care. Guidelines published by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence in the U.K.
NICE Clinical Guideline CG26

Practice Guideline and Resources for Treatment of Patients with Acute Stress Disorder and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Published by the American Psychiatric Association.

Primary Care - Mental Health

Better Practices in Collaborative Mental Health Care: An Analysis of the Evidence Base
A report for the Canadian Collaborative Mental Health Initiative, by Marilyn A Craven, and Roger Bland.
Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, May 2006, Vol 51, Supplement 1

Psychiatric Disorders Associated with Pregnancy and Childbirth

Antenatal and postnatal mental health
Guidelines published by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence in the U.K.
NICE Clinical Guideline CG45

Reproductive Mental Health Guidelines from the British Columbia Perinatal Health Program

Perinatal Depression: Prevalence, Screening Accuracy, and Screening Outcomes
From the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality in the United States. AHRQ Evidence Report/Technology Assessment 119, February 2005.

The Perinatal Period: Early Interventions for Mental Health
Kowalenko, Nick, Barnett, Bryanne, Fowler, Cathrine & Matthey, Stephen. The perinatal period: Early interventions for mental health. Adelaide:Australian Early Intervention Network for Mental Health in Young People, 2000. (Clinical approaches to early intervention in child and adolescent mental health, vol. 4)

Postnatal Depression and Puerperal Psychosis
A national clinical guideline. Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN), June 2002.
SIGN Publication No. 60

Psychiatric Nursing

Click here to search PubMed for practice guidelines for psychiatric nursing.

Best practice competencies and capabilities for pre-registration mental health nurses in England: The Chief Nursing Officer's review of mental health nursing
Department of Health (UK), April 2006. This document identifies the competencies and capabilities, including knowledge and performance criteria, essential for mental health nurses at the point of registration.

Engaging People: Observation of People with Acute Mental Health Problems: A Good Practice Statement.
NHS, Scotland, 2002. “Engaging People” is a revision of the CRAG (Clinical Resource and Audit Group) document “Nursing Observation of Acutely Ill Psychiatric Patients in Hospital” (1995) and is relevant to all who provide or receive acute psychiatric care.

Guidelines for Mental Health and Learning Disabilities Nursing
Covering issues such as consent, communication and team-working, this provides ethical, legal and professional guidance for all mental health and learning disabilities nurses. First published in April 1998.

International Society of Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurses. Position Statements.
Position statements on a number of issues of relevance to psychiatric nursing practice.

Recruitment and Retention of Mental Health Nurses: Good Practice Guide
From the Department of Health in the U.K., April 2006.

Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders

Click here to search PubMed for practice guidelines on the treatment of schizophrenia.

Canadian Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Treatment of Schizophrenia
From the Canadian Psychiatric Association.

Consensus Statement on High-Dose Antipsychotic Medication (May 2006)
Council Report CR138 of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. This report addresses the use of high-dose antipsychotic medication only in adult mental health services, and not other psychiatric services such as child and adolescent, elderly, and learning difficulties.

Early Psychosis: A Care Guide
Produced in April 2002, by the Mental Health Evaluation and Community Consultation Unit, University of British Columbia, this publication is intended as a guide to optimal practice in assessing and treating early psychosis. The Guide is the final resource produced as a result of the Early Psychosis Initiative (1999 – 2001) jointly sponsored by The Ministry of Health Services and The Ministry of Children and Development of British Columbia.

Early Psychosis: A Review of the Treatment Literature
A Research Report Prepared for the British Columbia Ministry of Children and Family Development, August 2004, by Tom Ehmann, Jodi Yager, and Laura Hanson.

eMedicine - Brief Psychotic Disorder
eMedicine - Schizophrenia and Other Psychoses
eMedicine's professional content undergoes 4 levels of physician peer review plus an additional review by a PharmD prior to publication. The evidence-based content is updated regularly to provide the latest practice guidelines.

Evaluating Antipsychotic Medications: Predictors of Clinical Effectiveness
Canadian Journal of Psychiatry April 2003, 44(3), Suppl. 1

Practice Guideline and Resources for Treatment of Patients with Schizophrenia
A practice guideline approved by the American Psychiatric Association..

PRODIGY Guidance - Schizophrenia
PRODIGY is a source of clinical knowledge, based on the best available evidence, about the common conditions and symptoms managed in primary care. It is produced by the Sowerby Centre for Health Informatics at Newcastle in the U.K.

Psychosocial Interventions in the Management of Schizophrenia
A national clinical guideline. Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN), October 1998.
SIGN Publication No. 30

Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists clinical practice guidelines for the treatment of schizophrenia and related disorders
From the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, clinical guidelines to assist practitioners in making decisions about appropriate health care for specific clinical circumstances.
Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry vol. 39 2005, pp. 1-30

Schizophrenia (NICE)
Schizophrenia: core interventions in the treatment and management of schizophrenia in primary and secondary care. Guidelines published by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence in the U.K.
NICE Clinical Guideline CG1

Schizophrenia - atypical antipsychotics
The clinical effectiveness and cost effectiveness of newer atypical antipsychotic drugs for schizophrenia. A Technology Appraisal from the National Institute for Clinical Excellence in the U.K.
NICE Technology Appraisal TA43

A systematic review of atypical antipsychotic drugs in schizophrenia
By A-M Bagnall, L Jones, L Ginnelly, R Lewis, J Glanville, S Gilbody, L Davies, D Torgerson, and J Kleijnen.
Health Technology Assessment 2003; Vol. 7: No. 13

Suicide and Self-Injurious Behaviour

Click here to search PubMed for practice guidelines on the management of people at risk of suicide or self harm.

Assessment and Management of People at Risk of Suicide (New Zealand Guidelines Group)
The New Zealand Guidelines Group was established by the National Health Committee (NHC) in 1996 as an informal network of expertise and information on guideline development and implementation. Its purpose is to train health and disability professionals and consumers in the development and implementation of evidence-based best practice guidelines.

Australian and New Zealand clinical practice guidelines for the treatment of adult deliberate self harm
From the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, clinical guidelines to assist practitioners in making decisions about appropriate health care for specific clinical circumstances.
Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry vol. 38 2004, pp. 868-884

Better Services for People Who Self-Harm
Resources from the Royal College of Psychiatrists, including a manual of standards.

Detection and Management of Young People at Risk of Suicide - New Zealand Guidelines Group
The New Zealand Guidelines Group was established by the National Health Committee (NHC) in 1996 as an informal network of expertise and information on guideline development and implementation. Its purpose is to train health and disability professionals and consumers in the development and implementation of evidence-based best practice guidelines.

Effectiveness of Interventions to Prevent Suicide and Suicidal Behaviour: A Systematic Review: Annotated Bibliography
By Maria Leitner, Wally Barr, and Lindsay Hobby. Scottish Government Social Research, January 2008. The project provides a comprehensive overview of the effectiveness of interventions to prevent suicide, suicidal behaviour and ideation, in both key risk groups and the general population.

Evaluation and Treatment of Patients with Suicidal Ideation
This is an article from American Family Physician, March 15, 1999 and is intended to assist general practitioners in recognising and dealing with suicidal patients.

For which strategies of suicide prevention is there evidence of effectiveness?
From the Health Evidence Network (HEN) of the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe.

Framework for Suicide Risk Assessment and Management for NSW Health Staff
New South Wales Department of Health, February 2005. Includes six individual protocol booklets which are designed to target the needs of staff in specific workplaces.

Guidelines for the Management of Deliberate Self Harm in Young People
Produced by the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine, May 2000.

Practice Guideline and Resources for Assessment and Treatment of Patients with Suicidal Behaviors
Practice guideline approved by the American Psychiatric Association.

Prevention, Recognition and Management of Young People at Risk of Suicide: Development of Guidelines for Schools.
By Annette Beautrais, Carolyn Coggan, David Fergusson, and Lewis Rivers. New Zealand Ministry of Education and National Advisory Committee on Health and Disability.

RMF Suicide Guidelines: Risk Management Foundation
From the Risk Management Foundation, Harvard University.

Self-harm (NICE)
Self-harm: The short-term physical and psychological management and secondary prevention of self-harm in primary and secondary care. Guidelines published by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence in the U.K.
NICE Clinical Guideline CG16

Young People at Risk of Suicide: A Guide for Schools
New Zealand Ministry of Health and National Education Committee, March 1998.

Violence

Click here to search PubMed for practice guidelines on the management of violent or aggressive behaviour.

Assaultive and Destructive Behaviour in a Treatment Setting: Guidelines for the Psychiatrist
A Position Paper of the Canadian Psychiatric Association.

eMedicine - Aggression
eMedicine's professional content undergoes 4 levels of physician peer review plus an additional review by a PharmD prior to publication. The evidence-based content is updated regularly to provide the latest practice guidelines.

Family Violence Intervention Guidelines: Child and Partner Abuse
New Zealand Ministry of Health, November 2002.

Good Medical Practice in the Psychiatric Care of Potentially Violent Patients in the Community (August 2000)
Council Report CR80 of the Royal College of Psychiatrists.

Preventing Violence and Related Health-Risking Social Behaviors in Adolescents
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD.
AHRQ Evidence Report 107, October 2004

Safety for Psychiatrists (January 2006)
Council Report CR134 of the Royal College of Psychiatrists.

Violence : Guidelines, reviews, position statements, recommendations, standards
From the Geneva Foundation for Medical Education and Research, a page of links to resources on child abuse, domestic violence, sexual abuse, sexual harassment, and violence.

Violence Prediction and Risk Analysis
From the Pacific Institute for the Study of Conflict and Aggression, a table of tests and measures used for the prediction of violence.

Violence Risk Prediction
Dolan M, and Doyle M.
Violence risk prediction: Clinical and actuarial measures and the role of the Psychopathy Checklist.
British Journal of Psychiatry 2000, 177: 303-311

Violence (NICE)
Violence: The short-term management of disturbed/violent behaviour in in-patient psychiatric settings and emergency departments. Guidelines published by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence in the U.K.
NICE Clinical Guideline CG25

What evidence exists about the safety of physical restraint when used by law enforcement and medical staff to control individuals with acute behavioural disturbance?
By Peter Day. New Zealand Health Technology Assessment (NZHTA). (NZHTA Brief Series, September 2002, Volume 1, Number.3)