Anxiety is as common as depression; however, it has received less attention and is often undetected and undertreated. The authors administered a 7-item anxiety scale to 965 primary care patients, w...

Anxiety Disorders in Primary Care: Prevalence, Impairment, Comorbidity, and Detection

The chronic care model is a guide to higher-quality chronic illness management within primary care. The model predicts that improvement in its 6 interrelated components—self-management support, clinical information systems, delivery system redesign, decision support, health care organization, and community resources—can produce system reform in which informed, activated patients interact with prepared, proactive practice teams. Case studies are provided describing how components of the chronic care model have been implemented in the primary care practices of 4 health care organizations.

/pdf/improving-primary-care-for-patients-with-chronic-illness-15qt5tkgcm.pdf

Improving Primary Care for Patients With Chronic Illness

Background Dramatic changes have occurred in mental health treatments during the past decade. Data on recent treatment patterns are needed to estimate the unmet need for services. Objective To provide data on patterns and predictors of 12-month mental health treatment in the United States from the recently completed National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Design and Setting Nationally representative face-to-face household survey using a fully structured diagnostic interview, the World Health Organization’s World Mental Health Survey Initiative version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview, carried out between February 5, 2001, and April 7, 2003. Participants A total of 9282 English-speaking respondents 18 years and older. Main Outcome Measures Proportions of respondents with 12-monthDSM-IVanxiety, mood, impulse control, and substance disorders who received treatment in the 12 months before the interview in any of 4 service sectors (specialty mental health, general medical, human services, and complementary and alternative medicine). Number of visits and proportion of patients who received minimally adequate treatment were also assessed. Results Of 12-month cases, 41.1% received some treatment in the past 12 months, including 12.3% treated by a psychiatrist, 16.0% treated by a nonpsychiatrist mental health specialist, 22.8% treated by a general medical provider, 8.1% treated by a human services provider, and 6.8% treated by a complementary and alternative medical provider (treatment could be received by >1 source). Overall, cases treated in the mental health specialty sector received more visits (median, 7.4) than those treated in the general medical sector (median, 1.7). More patients in specialty than general medical treatment also received treatment that exceeded a minimal threshold of adequacy (48.3% vs 12.7%). Unmet need for treatment is greatest in traditionally underserved groups, including elderly persons, racial-ethnic minorities, those with low incomes, those without insurance, and residents of rural areas. Conclusions Most people with mental disorders in the United States remain either untreated or poorly treated. Interventions are needed to enhance treatment initiation and quality.

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/articlepdf/208673/yoa40304.pdf

Twelve-Month Use of Mental Health Services in the United States Results From the National Comorbidity Survey Replication

An ultra-brief screening scale for anxiety and depression: the PHQ-4.

ContextFew depressed older adults receive effective treatment in primary care
settings.ObjectiveTo determine the effectiveness of the Improving Mood–Promoting
Access to Collaborative Treatment (IMPACT) collaborative care management program
for late-life depression.DesignRandomized controlled trial with recruitment from July 1999 to August
2001.SettingEighteen primary care clinics from 8 health care organizations in 5
states.ParticipantsA total of 1801 patients aged 60 years or older with major depression
(17%), dysthymic disorder (30%), or both (53%).InterventionPatients were randomly assigned to the IMPACT intervention (n = 906)
or to usual care (n = 895). Intervention patients had access for up to 12
months to a depression care manager who was supervised by a psychiatrist and
a primary care expert and who offered education, care management, and support
of antidepressant management by the patient's primary care physician or a
brief psychotherapy for depresssion, Problem Solving Treatment in Primary
Care.Main Outcome MeasuresAssessments at baseline and at 3, 6, and 12 months for depression, depression
treatments, satisfaction with care, functional impairment, and quality of
life.ResultsAt 12 months, 45% of intervention patients had a 50% or greater reduction
in depressive symptoms from baseline compared with 19% of usual care participants
(odds ratio [OR], 3.45; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.71-4.38; P<.001). Intervention patients also experienced greater rates of
depression treatment (OR, 2.98; 95% CI, 2.34-3.79; P<.001),
more satisfaction with depression care (OR, 3.38; 95% CI, 2.66-4.30; P<.001), lower depression severity (range, 0-4; between-group
difference, −0.4; 95% CI, −0.46 to −0.33; P<.001), less functional impairment (range, 0-10; between-group
difference, −0.91; 95% CI, −1.19 to −0.64; P<.001), and greater quality of life (range, 0-10; between-group
difference, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.32-0.79; P<.001) than
participants assigned to the usual care group.ConclusionThe IMPACT collaborative care model appears to be feasible and significantly
more effective than usual care for depression in a wide range of primary care
practices.

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/articlepdf/195599/JOC21093.pdf

Collaborative Care Management of Late-Life Depression in the Primary Care Setting: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Background Depressive and anxiety disorders are prevalent and cause substantial morbidity. While effective treatments exist, little is known about the quality of care for these disorders nationally. We estimated the rate of appropriate treatment among the US population with these disorders, and the effect of insurance, provider type, and individual characteristics on receipt of appropriate care. Methods Data are from a cross-sectional telephone survey conducted during 1997 and 1998 with a national sample. Respondents consisted of 1636 adults with a probable 12-month depressive or anxiety disorder as determined by brief diagnostic interview. Appropriate treatment was defined as present if the respondent had used medication or counseling that was consistent with treatment guidelines. Results During a 1-year period, 83% of adults with a probable depressive or anxiety disorder saw a health care provider (95% confidence interval [CI], 81%-85%) and 30% received some appropriate treatment (95% CI, 28%-33%). Most visited primary care providers only. Appropriate care was received by 19% in this group (95% CI, 16%-23%) and by 90% of individuals visiting mental health specialists (95% CI, 85%-94%). Appropriate treatment was less likely for men and those who were black, less educated, or younger than 30 or older than 59 years (range, 19-97 years). Insurance and income had no effect on receipt of appropriate care. Conclusions It is possible to evaluate mental health care quality on a national basis. Most adults with a probable depressive or anxiety disorder do not receive appropriate care for their disorder. While this holds across diverse groups, appropriate care is less common in certain demographic subgroups.

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/articlepdf/481702/yoa20071.pdf

The Quality of Care for Depressive and Anxiety Disorders in the United States

OBJECTIVE: Recent policy has focused on documenting and reducing ethnic disparities in availability and quality of health care. The authors examined differences by ethnic status in unmet need for alcoholism, drug abuse, and mental health treatment. METHOD: Data were from a follow-up survey of adult respondents to a 1996–1997 national survey. Non-Hispanic whites, African Americans, and Hispanics were compared in access to alcoholism and drug abuse treatment and mental health care (primary or specialty), unmet need for care, satisfaction with care, and use of active treatment for alcoholism, drug abuse, and mental health problems in the prior 12 months. RESULTS: A total of 31.9% of whites, 28.1% of African Americans, and 30.1% of Hispanics had some alcoholism, drug abuse, and mental health care, mostly in primary care. Among those with perceived need, compared to whites, African Americans were more likely to have no access to alcoholism, drug abuse, or mental health care (25.4% versus 12.5%), and Hispanics ...

Ethnic Disparities in Unmet Need for Alcoholism, Drug Abuse, and Mental Health Care

Objective The authors compared rates of common mental disorders and the use of primary care and specialty mental health services among younger and older adults. Methods They used data from 9,585 respondents to the HealthCare for Communities (HCC) Household Telephone Survey. Mental disorders during the past year, including depression, dysthymia, and generalized anxiety disorder, were identified with a short questionnaire. The survey also collected information about sociodemographic and insurance status, perceived need for mental health care, and use of health services. Results Older adults (age 65 and older) were significantly less likely than younger adults (18–29) or middle-aged adults (30–64) to meet diagnostic criteria for a mental disorder (8% versus 15% in each of the younger age-groups). Older adults who met diagnostic criteria for mental disorders were less likely to perceive a need for mental health care, to receive specialty mental health care or counseling, or to receive referrals from primary care to mental health specialty care than young or middle-aged adults. Conclusion Few older adults with mental disorders use mental health services, particularly specialty mental health services. The lack of perceived need for mental health care may contribute to low rates of mental health service use among older adults.

Caring for mental illness in the United States: a focus on older adults.

OBJECTIVE: The study examined the relationship between mental disorders and the use of complementary and alternative medicine. METHOD: Data from a national household telephone survey conducted in 1997–1998 (N=9,585) were used to examine the relationships between use of complementary and alternative medicine during the past 12 months and several demographic variables and indicators of mental disorders. Structured diagnostic screening interviews were used to establish diagnoses of probable mental disorders. RESULTS: Use of complementary and alternative medicine during the past 12 months was reported by 16.5% of the respondents. Of those respondents, 21.3% met diagnostic criteria for one or more mental disorders, compared to 12.8% of respondents who did not report use of alternative medicine. Individuals with panic disorder and major depression were significantly more likely to use alternative medicine than those without those disorders. Respondents with mental disorders who reported use of alternative medic...

http://www.aeyt.org/resources/Mental%20Disorders%20and%20the%20Use%20of%20Alternative%20Medicine,%20Results%20From%20a%20National%20Survey.pdf

Mental Disorders and the Use of Alternative Medicine: Results From a National Survey

Objective
Although effective treatments exist, individuals with depressive and anxiety disorders can remain ill for years. Little is known regarding mental health status and treatment use in this population. This study provided national estimates of the prevalence of persistent depression and anxiety, as well as estimates of illness severity, treatment use, and quality of care in this population.

/pdf/persistent-depression-and-anxiety-in-the-united-states-4svue04xhs.pdf

Ruth Klap

Papers

The Quality of Care for Depressive and Anxiety Disorders in the United States

Ethnic Disparities in Unmet Need for Alcoholism, Drug Abuse, and Mental Health Care

Caring for mental illness in the United States: a focus on older adults.

Mental Disorders and the Use of Alternative Medicine: Results From a National Survey

Persistent Depression and Anxiety in the United States: Prevalence and Quality of Care