The clinical programs located within the Centre are an example of the partnership of Vancouver Coastal Health clinical care and UBC clinical research/trials.
Assessing and Treating Depression and Bipolar Disorders
The Mood Disorders Centre functions primarily as a consultation clinic, in which patients receive careful assessment, diagnosis, and treatment recommendations.
Patients are typically referred to the Mood Disorders Centre by a doctor. Referrals are accepted for adult patients (age 18 years and older) from physicians within the Vancouver Coastal Health region (Vancouver, North Shore, Richmond inclusive).
Outside this region, referrals are limited to psychiatrists or community mental health teams requesting a second opinion after six months of a prior psychiatric assessment.
FAQs
Below are the answers to some frequently asked questions about the Mood Disorders Centre.
Referrals must be made by family physicians who practice within the Vancouver Coastal Health region (Vancouver, North Shore, Richmond inclusive) or psychiatrists or other specialists from anywhere in BC (at least 6 months after a prior psychiatric assessment).
You can find the referral form here.
Please fax this to 604-822-7922.
Once your doctor has completed and sent a referral form on your behalf, your referral will be reviewed to ensure it includes all necessary information and meets catchment requirements. If there are any issues with your referral, the Centre will inform your referring physician, who will then follow up with you.
Once your referral is accepted, the clinic clerk will contact you by phone to arrange your appointment. No further action is required on your part.
If you don’t hear from the clinic within three months of your referral, please check with your referring physician. The current waiting time for appointments may vary but is approximately 3-4 months from the date of referral.
If you are a patient at the clinic and are looking to confirm an appointment or follow up with any tests, you may contact the clinic by phone at 604-822-7512 or by email at UBCHCBHMOODDISORDERS@vch.ca
The outpatient clinic focuses on consultations – single-visit assessments and treatment recommendations – of adult patients.
Within the clinic, there are programs for seasonal depression (seasonal affective disorder), first episode mania and treatment-resistant mood disorders. A limited number of patients are followed for brief management (typically 2–3 months), usually in clinical research protocols. The focus of expertise in the MDC is on medication management, psychotherapy, and neurostimulation treatments.
You may be contacted about research studies. Taking part in research is completely voluntary and will not affect your current or future medical care.
If you are interested in being involved in research, you can visit this website for current opportunities.
You may also email mood.disorders@ubc.ca to inquire about any ongoing studies.
There are several good online resources with information about mood disorders:
Resources compiled by the Mood Disorders Centre
Information about Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
MoodFx, our Smartphone App for Depression
Mood Disorders Association of BC
Mood Disorders Society of Canada
Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA)
Canadian Psychiatric Association