Media Release

Harvard expertise to enhance diagnosis and treatment of mental illness

22 February 2006

A Harvard Professor will present his bipolar rating tool to the Northern Psychiatric Research Centre's Bipolar Clinic and Research Program in Melbourne this Thursday (23 February), which will see the tool used for the first time in Australia.

Professor Gary Sachs, Director Bipolar Clinic and Research Program at the Harvard Medical School, will officially launch the Northern Psychiatry Research Centre's (NPRC) Bipolar Clinic and Research Program, followed by a presentation of the rating tool that was developed by his Bipolar Clinic at the Harvard Medical School.

Called the Mania Rating Scale, it is used to identify Bipolar Mood Disorder in patients and also help manage the illness on an ongoing basis. NPRC staff will receive training in the use of the tool from their Harvard colleagues.

Bipolar is a mental illness where people experience extreme mood swings, from depression to extreme excitement - medically referred to as mania. Because of variations in symptoms, it can take up to 10 years to make an accurate diagnosis.

According to Professor Sachs, a delay in diagnosis often results in young people, often in their 20s, losing a productive decade of their lives.

NPRC Director, Associate Professor Suresh Sundram, said that Bipolar Mood Disorder was often hidden by a range of other health conditions that are common in people who have the disorder. "Bipolar patients have extreme highs and lows in mood and often have other health problems such as anxiety, substance abuse or obesity. This can mask their mental illness, making diagnosis difficult and therefore delaying appropriate treatment.

"The Mania Rating Scale will help make a diagnosis sooner and also help manage the disorder so that appropriate treatment is provided at the different stages of the illness. It will help monitor an individual's illness and the effect of treatment to achieve a remission of the illness. Ongoing treatment of this disorder allows individuals to live productive and satisfying lives," Assoc Prof Sundram said.

The Harvard link came about when Prof Sachs was invited to the 2002 Royal Australian College of Psychiatrists Congress at Hobart, by NPRC Director of Bipolar Clinic and Research Program, Dr Russell D'Souza, who is also the Public Officer of the Australasian Society for Bipolar Disorders.

Dr D'Souza is pleased that an ongoing relationship between the NPRC and the Harvard Bipolar Clinic and Research Program has been formally established. "Collaborative work will commence both in research and in helping the practices better identify and diagnose Bipolar Mood Disorders to shorten the time it takes for patients to receive effective treatment.

"Prof Sachs was the principal investigator of the biggest follow up study of Systematic Treatment Enhancement Program in Bipolar Disorders funded by the National Institutes of Health USA. This study led to over 4000 patient treatments being studied. We plan to develop similar applied studies in Melbourne through the NPRC, which will lead to continuing improvements in treatment," Dr D'Souza said.

The Northern Psychiatry Research Centre is part of NorthWestern Mental Health (a part of Melbourne Health) and is based at The Northern Hospital. This base will help ensure the growing populations of northern Melbourne can directly benefit from the specialised work conducted at the Centre.

Media queries: Irene Salkunas, Corporate Affairs, NorthWestern Mental Health, Melbourne Health, 0419 339 084.