The use of latent class analysis for identifying subtypes of depression: A systematic review.

Depression is a significant public health problem but symptom remission is difficult to predict. This may be due to substantial heterogeneity underlying the disorder. Latent class analysis (LCA) is often used to elucidate clinically relevant depression subtypes but whether or not consistent subtypes emerge is unclear. We sought to critically examine the implementation and reporting of LCA in this context by performing a systematic review to identify articles detailing the use of LCA to explore subtypes of depression among samples of adults endorsing depression symptoms. PubMed, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Scopus, and Google Scholar were searched to identify eligible articles indexed prior to January 2016. Twenty-four articles reporting 28 LCA models were eligible for inclusion. Sample characteristics varied widely. The majority of articles used depression symptoms as the observed indicators of the latent depression subtypes. Details regarding model fit and selection were often lacking. No consistent set of depression subtypes was identified across studies. Differences in how models were constructed might partially explain the conflicting results. Standards for using, interpreting, and reporting LCA models could improve our understanding of the LCA results. Incorporating dimensions of depression other than symptoms, such as functioning, may be helpful in determining depression subtypes.

Assessing the Effectiveness of an Evidence-based Practice Pharmacology Course Using the Fresno Test.

Objective. To assess the effectiveness of an evidence-based practice (EBP) pharmacology elective course to teach EBP skills using the Fresno Test (FT). Methods. Pharmacy faculty members and medical librarians developed the elective course and offered it to two cohorts of doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) students. A pre/post intervention study design was used. Seven of 12 FT items were chosen to measure specific EBP skills: Ask, Access, Appraise and Apply. Pre/postcomposite and FT item mean scores were compared using Student's t test with p<0.05 set as significant a priori. Results. Composite FT mean scores increased significantly for both cohorts. Mean scores for both cohorts increased significantly in four of the seven FT items but on different FT items. Conclusion. As a profession that commonly uses evidence-based guidelines, developing and integrating an EBP course in the PharmD curriculum is worth considering.