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Table 2 Combination of terms with the best sensitivity (keeping specificity ≥50%) for detecting mental health content in MEDLINE in 2000 and performance when combined with the most sensitive strategy for detecting treatment studies

From: Optimal search strategies for identifying mental health content in MEDLINE: an analytic survey

Search Strategy OVID search*

Sensitivity (%) (95% CI)

Specificity (%) (95% CI)

Precision (%) (95% CI)

Accuracy (%) (95% CI)

Best Sensitivity

    

depress:.mp.

OR adolescen:.mp.

OR exp mental disorders

OR psych:.mp.

OR "use disorder:".tw.

OR behav:.mp.

OR exp psychotropic drugs

OR exp psychology, social

OR neuro:.mp.

OR dt.fs.

OR exp brain diseases

OR cognitive:.mp.

OR exp neurotransmitter agents

OR exp psychotherapy

OR exp social problems

OR anxiety.mp.

OR attention:.mp.

OR exp emotions

OR exp neurobehavioral manifestations

OR chronic.tw.

OR mental health.mp.

OR stress.mp.

OR alcohol.mp.

OR abus:.mp.

OR prevent:.mp.

OR stress, psychological.sh.

OR exp adaptation, psychological

OR outcome measure:.tw.

OR exp mental health services

(n = 3,277)

98.4 (98.0 to 98.9)

(n = 8,956)

50.0 (49.0 to 51.1)

(n = 7,700)

41.9 (40.8 to 43.0)

(n = 12,233)

63.0 (62.2 to 63.9)

Above strategy "ANDed" with best sensitivity strategy for detecting methodology sound treatment studies

    

clinical trial.mp.

OR clinical trial.pt.

OR random:.mp.

OR tu.xs.

(n = 129)

99.2 (95.8 to 100.0)

(n = 7,571)

69.8 (68.8 to 70.8)

(n = 2,414)

5.3 (4.4 to 6.3)

(n = 7,700)

70.3 (69.3 to 71.3)

  1. *Search strategies are reported using Ovid's search engine syntax for MEDLINE.
  2. : = truncation; mp = multiple posting – term appears in title, abstract, or subject heading; exp = explode, a search term that automatically includes closely related indexing terms; tw = textword (word or phrase appears in title or abstract); dt = drug therapy; fs = floating subheading; sh = MeSH, medical subject heading; pt = publication type; tu = therapeutic use; xs = exploded subheading.