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Home > Health Sciences > JHDRP > Vol. 5 (2011-2012) > Iss. 2

 

Keywords

Affective disorders; Behavioral Health Consultation; Depression; Depression; Mental – Diagnosis; Integrative Behavioral Health Care; Mental health services; Primary Care (Medicine); Psychotropic drugs

Disciplines

Community Health | Mental and Social Health | Mental Disorders | Primary Care

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of behavioral health consultative services on levels of depressive symptoms in patients diagnosed with a mood disorder. Two-hundred fifty-one patients with a form of mood disorder completed the PHQ-9 screening tool for depression both before and after a treatment period lasting an average of three months, during which patients received behavioral health consultation services. Results showed that 49.8% of patients participating in this integrated behavioral health care program experienced improvements of at least 50% in PHQ-9 scores from pre- to post-test. Improvements in PHQ-9 scores of at least a five points from pre-to post-test were experienced by 80.5% of participants. At least some improvement in PHQ-9 scores from pre- to post-test was observed in 94.8% of patients with a mood disorder. Improvement in PHQ-9 scores was not significantly correlated with the number of behavioral or medical visits made during the intervention period. The degree of improvement in PHQ-9 scores seen in persons receiving psychotropic medication during the program period did not differ significantly from that of persons not receiving psychotropic medication. The number of medical visits decreased significantly during receipt of behavioral health consultation services.

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