Using the PHQ-9 for depression screening and treatment monitoring for Chinese Americans in primary care

OBJECTIVE: Because Chinese Americans are known to underutilize mental health services, routine screening for depression in primary care clinics has been advocated as a means of identifying Chinese-American patients with depression and initiating appropriate treatment. This analysis evaluated the utility of the nine-item depression module of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) for depression screening and monitoring treatment outcomes among Chinese Americans at a primary health care setting. METHODS: A total of 3,417 patients who presented for an initial or annual physical examination with their primary care providers were screened for depression between January and October 2003 at the Charles B. Wang Community Health Center, a primary health care center in New York City serving primarily low-income Chinese Americans. The depression screen was a two-tier process: if patients endorsed one or more of three initial questions on an abridged version of the PHQ-9, they were then administered the PHQ-9. RESULTS: A total of 141 individuals (4.1 percent) had clinically significant depressive symptoms (PHQ-9 score of 10 or higher). Women were more likely to have significant levels of depressive symptoms than men (17.3 percent compared with 11.6 percent). A total of 114 of the 141 patients with clinically significant depressive symptoms received treatment plans initiated by their primary care provider. Forty (35.1 percent) responded to treatment (50 percent decrease in PHQ-9 score) by eight weeks of treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The PHQ-9 can be used to screen for depression as well as guide depression treatment planning among Chinese Americans in primary care. Screening for major depression with the PHQ-9 in primary care settings should be considered for appropriate identification and treatment of depression for Chinese-American patients.     

Developing mental health services in a primary care setting: Liverpool Primary Care Mental Health Project.

The Liverpool Primary Care Mental Health Project (PCMHP) was set up in 1996 to provide mental health services in a primary care setting. This study describes and evaluates an impact of a working model of a multi-disciplinary team in close association with five Liverpool practices. The data were collected on all patients who came in contact with the PCMHP team during a three-year period and compared with the data available for the five neighboring teams on waiting time between referral and assessment, clinical outcome, in-patient bed usage, GPs' and patients' satisfaction with services. The number of new referrals remained the same over three years. The usage of inpatient beds dropped by 38% in the same period. Waiting time between referral and assessment for new patients reduced from six weeks to one-two weeks. GP's were highly satisfied with access to CMH Nurses, overall communication with the team and overall delivery of the services. Over 80% of patients were satisfied with the services. Integrated mental health services with primary care proved to be effective and satisfactory to GPs as well as to patients. This approach did not increase the workload of the mental health team.     

Primary care in psychiatry residency training

The author summarizes patient perspectives and government initiatives that have fostered closer medicine-psychiatry cooperation and more comprehensive treatment of patients. Despite the growing numbers of people requiring more formal mental health care, most patients are being treated by primary health care providers. This trend will continue as long as there is a decline in the number of medical students entering psychiatry. The author summarizes several general principles that psychiatry residency program directors should consider in designing primary care experiences for their residents and for medical students rotating on their services: longitudinal primary care experiences in organized medical care settings, training in basic medical principles and techniques, and instruction in the biopsychosocial model of disease. The author also recommends three specific training experiences for psychiatry residents that would enhance their ability to provide more effective mental health services to primary care physicians and their patients: consultation psychiatry, primary mental health care, and general psychiatry. The author concludes that medical students, throught their contact with primary care-oriented psuchiatry residency programs, would be more attracted to psychiatry as a specialty choice and that residents, upon completion of training, would be more inclined to practice in primary care settings.     

Improving access to geriatric mental health services: a randomized trial comparing treatment engagement with integrated versus enhanced referral care for depression, anxiety, and at-risk alcohol use

OBJECTIVE: The authors sought to determine whether integrated mental health services or enhanced referral to specialty mental health clinics results in greater engagement in mental health/substance abuse services by older primary care patients. METHOD: This multisite randomized trial included 10 sites consisting of primary care and specialty mental health/substance abuse clinics. Primary care patients 65 years old or older (N=24,930) were screened. The final study group consisted of 2,022 patients (mean age=73.5 years; 26% female; 48% ethnic minority) with depression (N=1,390), anxiety (N=70), at-risk alcohol use (N=414), or dual diagnosis (N=148) who were randomly assigned to integrated care (mental health and substance abuse providers co-located in primary care; N=999) or enhanced referral to specialty mental health/substance abuse clinics (i.e., facilitated scheduling, transportation, payment; N=1,023). RESULTS: Seventy-one percent of patients engaged in treatment in the integrated model compared with 49% in the enhanced referral model. Integrated care was associated with more mental health and substance abuse visits per patient (mean=3.04) relative to enhanced referral (mean=1.91). Overall, greater engagement was predicted by integrated care and higher mental distress. For depression, greater engagement was predicted by integrated care and more severe depression. For at-risk alcohol users, greater engagement was predicted by integrated care and more severe problem drinking. For all conditions, greater engagement was associated with closer proximity of mental health/substance abuse services to primary care. CONCLUSIONS: Older primary care patients are more likely to accept collaborative mental health treatment within primary care than in mental health/substance abuse clinics. These results suggest that integrated service arrangements improve access to mental health and substance abuse services for older adults who underuse these services.     

Preliminary outcomes from an integrated mental health primary care team

The effects of establishing a multidisciplinary mental health primary care team in a Veterans Affairs internal medicine primary care clinic were evaluated. The multidisciplinary team worked in collaboration with primary care providers to evaluate and treat their patients, who had a wide variety of psychiatric disorders, in the primary care clinic. In the first year of operation preliminary outcomes indicated that the rate of referrals to specialty mental health care dropped from 38 percent to 14 percent. The mean number of appointments with the team for evaluation and stabilization was 2.5. These outcomes suggest that a multidisciplinary mental health primary care team can rapidly evaluate and stabilize patients with a wide range of psychiatric disorders, reduce the number of referrals to specialty mental health care, and improve collaborative care.     

Outcomes of recognizing depressed Chinese American patients in primary care

PURPOSE: This study aims to examine the effect of identifying Chinese American patients as having major depressive disorder (MDD) to their primary care physicians (PCPs) on the latter's attention given to the treatment of depression. METHODOLOGY: Forty Chinese American patients from a primary care clinic were identified as having major depressive disorder (MDD), and their primary care physicians (PCPs) were notified of the diagnosis by letter. Three months later, medical records of subjects in the study were reviewed to see if their PCPs had intervened through referral and/or initiated treatment of depression. RESULTS: PCPs documented intervention in 19 patients (47%) regarding their depression. Two of these patients (11%) were started on an antidepressant. Four (21%) accepted and 13 (68%) declined referral to mental health services. No intervention was recorded for 21 (53%) patients. CONCLUSION: We conclude that recognition alone of MDD among Chinese Americans in the community primary care setting does not lead to adequate initiation of treatment for depression by PCPs.     

Integration of behavioral and physical health care for a medicaid population through a public-public partnership

This article documents a unique organizational, legal, and financial partnership between a state, a university, a Medicaid managed health care plan, and a county to provide integrated mental health, substance abuse, and primary and specialty health care services to Medicaid, low-income, and indigent consumers in Washtenaw county, Michigan. Major regulatory, financial, and clinical changes were required within and among the various partners in the Washtenaw County Integrated Health Care Project. A new entity--the Washtenaw Community Health Organization--was created to implement the project. By sharing resources as well as financial risks, the state, the county, and the university have been able to provide ongoing integrated care to a vulnerable population of patients. Although resource intensive in conceptualization and implementation, the project can be viewed as a model for other states that face growing needy populations and decreasing Medicaid budgets.     

A new approach to alcoholism detection in primary care

This article describes a model that brings together the chemical dependency, mental health, and primary care services of a staff model HMO for the purpose of establishing a primary care clinic-based program to assist physicians in early detection of chemical dependency and frequent psychiatric disorders. The model creates a partnership between a master's-level professional social worker (MSW) and a designated family physician from the clinic. Their focus is on provider education, consultation, and on assisting patients with referrals to the appropriate services. Parameters of success include changes on referral patterns, use of the MSW's services, and clinic satisfaction. In addition, there are indications that early intervention has had a positive impact on subsequent use of other health care system's resources.     

Integration of mental health resources in a primary care setting leads to increased provider satisfaction and patient access

Objective

This evaluation assessed the opinions and experiences of primary care providers and their support staff before and after implementation of expanded on-site mental health services and related system changes in a primary care clinic.

Method

Individual semistructured interviews, which contained a combination of open-ended questions and rating scales, were used to elicit opinions about mental health services before on-site system and resource changes occurred and repeated following changes that were intended to improve access to on-site mental health care.

Results

In the first set of interviews, prior to expanding mental health services, primary care providers and support staff were generally dissatisfied with the availability and scheduling of on-site mental health care. Patients were often referred outside the primary care clinic for mental health treatment, to the detriment of communication and coordinated care. Follow-up interviews conducted after expansion of mental health services, scheduling refinements and other system changes revealed improved provider satisfaction in treatment access and coordination of care. Providers appreciated immediate and on-site social worker availability to triage mental health needs and help access care, and on-site treatment was viewed as important for remaining informed about patient care the primary care providers are not delivering directly.

Conclusions

Expanding integrated mental health services resulted in increased staff and provider satisfaction. Our evaluation identified key components of satisfaction, including on-site collaboration and assistance triaging patient needs. The sustainability of integrated models of care requires additional study.     

How primary care physicians treat psychiatric disorders: a national survey of family practitioners

A survey of 350 family practice physicians nationwide showed that 22.6% of their patients had significant psychiatric disorders. Physicians reported treating most psychiatric problems themselves, usually through a combination of psychotropic drugs, advice, and reassurance. The results suggest that anxiolytics are more conservatively used and referrals for mental health care more often made than past studies indicate. Physicians cited patient resistance and time limitations as the most important barriers to primary care mental health treatment, followed by limited third-party payment for mental health services, poor coordination between the primary care and mental health care sectors, and insufficient training to treat psychiatric disorders.     

A Collaborative Care Model to Improve Access to Pediatric Mental Health Services

To examine if an innovative collaborative care model known as Targeted Child Psychiatric Services designed for primary care pediatricians (PCPs) and child psychiatrists (1) was associated with improved access to child psychiatry services, (2) had the potential to identify optimal care settings for pediatric mental health care and (3) examined if pediatricians appeared as likely to accept children back into their practices at discharge from TCPS depending upon diagnostic category, controlling for severity of illness and function. The diagnostic classes examined were ADHD (39%), depression (31%) and anxiety (13%). This prospective cohort design study collected medical records of 329 children referred to TCPS by 139 PCPs. To detect the likelihood of return to referring pediatricians for follow-up care at discharge from TCPS, we employed logistic regression models. Mean age was 12.3 (SD = 4.0); 43% were female. Ninety-three percent of parents complied with pediatricians’ recommendations to have their child assessed by a child psychiatrist. A total of 28.0% of referrals returned to PCPs for follow-up care; the remainder were followed in mental health. Regression findings indicated that children with major depression (OR = 7.5) or anxiety disorders (OR = 5.1) were less likely to return to PCPs compared to ADHD even though severity of psychiatric illness and functional levels did not differ across diagnostic groups. Families widely accepted pediatricians’ recommendations for referral to child psychiatrists. Depression and anxiety were strong correlates of retention in mental health settings at discharge from TCPS though children with these disorders appeared to be no more severely ill or functionally limited than peers with ADHD. These children possibly could be managed in a less intensive and expensive primary care treatment setting that could access mental health specialty services as needed in a collaborative model of care. TCPS is contrasted with the well-known collaborative model for adult depression in primary care. TCPS could serve as a feasible model of care that addresses the daunting barriers in accessing pediatric mental health services.     

Recognizing and engaging depressed Chinese Americans in treatment in a primary care setting

OBJECTIVES: To examine the effectiveness of depression screening and the Engagement Interview Protocol (EIP) in identifying and engaging in treatment depressed Chinese Americans in a primary care setting. METHODS: Chinese American patients who attended a primary care clinic between 15 September, 2004 and 14 September, 2005 were screened for depression using the Chinese Bilingual version of the Patient Health Questionnaire (CB-PHQ-9). Patients who screened positive (CB-PHQ-9>or=15) were evaluated using the EIP to establish psychiatric diagnosis and to engage patients in treatment. RESULTS: Three thousand eight hundred and twelve patients completed the CB-PHQ-9, of which 113 (3.2%) screened positive for MDD. Among those screening positive, six (5.3%) had been receiving psychiatric treatment for depression, 57 (50%) declined to receive a psychiatric interview or were unable to be contacted, and 50 (44%) agreed to be interviewed with the EIP. Out of the 50 patients interviewed, 44 (88%) had their MDD diagnosis confirmed; among them, 41 (93%) agreed to receive treatment for depression and three (7%) declined intervention. CONCLUSIONS: Under-recognition and under-treatment of depressed Chinese Americans in primary care settings continue to be prevalent. Recognition of depression can be enhanced by using the brief CB-PHQ-9 to screen for depression. Half of the Chinese Americans who screened positive for MDD declined evaluation by a mental health professional. Most of the depressed Chinese Americans who were evaluated agreed to receive treatment. Enhanced cultural sensitivity with the use of the EIP in psychiatric assessment may have contributed to the success in engaging depressed Chinese Americans in treatment.     

Bridging the divide between child psychiatry and primary care: the use of telephone consultation within a population-based collaborative system

The Massachusetts Child Psychiatry Access Project is a public system for improving access to care for children with mental health problems in which the provision of telephone consultation by child psychiatry teams to pediatric primary care providers (PCPs) plays a central role. In this article, the practice of telephone consultation within this system is explored through the examination of case studies, demonstrating its use in common clinical scenarios. The telephone consultations provide immediate case-based clinical education, and also serve as a gateway for the provision of as-needed direct child psychiatry evaluation and care coordination services. Most importantly, the telephone consultations build sustaining collaborative relationships, enhancing the ability of PCPs to meet the needs of children with mental health problems.     

Depression Care Management for Chinese Americans in Primary Care: A Feasibility Pilot Study

This study describes a culturally relevant intervention using a collaborative depression care model to integrate mental health and primary care services for depressed low income Chinese-Americans at a community health center. A total of 6,065 patients were screened for depression. Of the 341 who screened positive, 57 participated and were randomly assigned to receive either enhanced physician care with care management (32) or enhanced physician care only (25). All enrolled participants were assessed at baseline and 4 monthly follow-up visits for depression, physical and mental health functioning, and perceived stigma toward receiving depression care, to determine the impact, if any, of their mental health treatment. Both groups reported significant reduction of depressive symptoms and improved mental health functioning from baseline to follow-up assessments although there was no significant difference between the two groups. Although the study found no advantage to adding the care management component in the treatment of depression, screening and assertive treatment of immigrant Chinese Americans who tend to underutilize mental health services is important and consistent with the increased adoption of team based care models in patient centered medical homes. High refusal rates for enrollment in the study have implications for future study designs for this group.     

British community psychiatry and its implications for American planning

British programs in community psychiatry are mainly extended activities of mental hospitals. Their establishment has depended upon the hospital superintendent's securing the cooperation of the local health authority and the general practitioners in the area served by the hospital. Being hospital directed, these services are chiefly concerned with treatment, rehabilitation, and follow-up care of psychotic patients, and provide a striking contrast to community programs in the United States, where the focus until recently has been on the outpatient clinic offering dynamic psychotherapy to neurotic patients. Consequently British programs have much to offer the American who participates in the planning of comprehensive community mental health services.     

Meeting the mental health needs of low-income immigrants in primary care: a community adaptation of an evidence-based model

Low-income, uninsured immigrants are burdened by poverty and a high prevalence of trauma exposure and thus are vulnerable to mental health problems. Disparities in access to mental health services highlight the importance of adapting evidence-based interventions in primary care settings that serve this population. In 2005, the Montgomery Cares Behavioral Health Program began adapting and implementing a collaborative care model for the treatment of depression and anxiety disorders in a network of primary care clinics that serve low-income, uninsured residents of Montgomery County, Maryland, the majority of whom are immigrants. In its 6th year now, the program has generated much needed knowledge about the adaptation of this evidence-based model. The current article describes the adaptations to the traditional collaborative care model that were necessitated by patient characteristics and the clinic environment.     

Psychological services in a pediatric epilepsy clinic: Referral patterns and feasibility

Referral patterns for on-site psychological services were tracked in a pediatric epilepsy clinic at a university medical center. Results revealed that 84 children treated for seizures were referred to an on-site pediatric psychologist. Behavior problems were the overall most common reason for referral; however, boys were more likely to be referred for disruptive behaviors, and girls were more likely to be referred for internalizing symptoms. Following psychological assessment, brief cognitive-behavioral intervention services were provided on-site in the epilepsy clinic to 39% of children and families. Finally, referral rates for psychological assessment/intervention were likely far below the estimated prevalence rates for psychosocial maladjustment in children with epilepsy. Results, therefore, highlight the necessity of facilitating increased referrals to mental health providers and provide support for the feasibility of on-site mental health services.     

Satisfaction with mental health services in older primary care patients.

OBJECTIVE: This study examines whether older adult primary care patients are satisfied with two intervention models designed to ameliorate their behavioral health problems. METHODS: A total of 1,052 primary care patients aged 65 and older with depression, anxiety, or at-risk drinking were randomly assigned to and participated in either integrated care (IC) or enhanced specialty referral (ESR) model and completed the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire (CSQ) administered at three-month follow-up assessment. RESULTS: Older adult patients' satisfaction with IC (mean: 3.4, standard deviation [SD]: 0.60) was significantly higher than that with ESR (mean: 3.2, SD: 0.78), but the absolute difference was modest. Regression results showed that patients who used the IC model, attended the treatment service twice or more, or showed clinical improvement were more likely to express greater satisfaction. Stigma toward mental illness was negatively associated with satisfaction with mental health services. CONCLUSIONS: Older adults are more likely to have greater satisfaction with mental health services integrated in primary care settings than through enhanced referrals to specialty mental health and substance abuse clinics.     

A nurse-led mental health service for people with multiple sclerosis

BackgroundMental health problems are under recognised and under treated in people with multiple sclerosis (MS).MethodA nurse-led project linking MS and mental health services was evaluated. Data on all referrals and management from 2006 to 2008 were collected prospectively.Results127 referrals were received. 82% had depression, 53% had anxiety (45% both). 42% were offered case management; 52% received Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), 55% required initiation or alteration of psychiatric medications and 19% were referred to secondary care; 16% had made suicidal plans. Significant improvements in depression at 6 months occurred, but not anxiety or fatigue.Clinical implicationsThis service provides a model of mental health provision for patients with long term neurological conditions, in particular MS.