Mental Disorders Commons^™

Making An Impact On Late-Life Depression. Partnering With Primary Care Providers Can Double The Effect Of Treatment, Steven D. Vannoy, Diane Powers, JüRgen UnüTzer

Steven D Vannoy

Few depressed older adults seek help from psychiatrists. Those who receive mental health treatment most likely do so in pri- mary care settings. Yet primary care physicians (PCPs) often are ill-equipped to effectively treat depression while managing older patients’ numerous acute and chronic medical conditions. If depressed older patients won’t go to a psychiatrist, why not bring the psychiatrist to the patients? This article describes a clinically tested approach called project IMPACT that links psy- chiatrists to primary care teams and dramatically improves depression treatment in older adults.