Primary Care–Based Depression Management in Older Depressed Patients

In an earlier randomized trial among depressed older adults, an intervention in which depression care managers worked with primary care physicians to provide algorithm-based depression treatment (e.g., medication, psychotherapy) and monitoring resulted in better symptom relief, greater likelihood of remission, and less suicidal ideation at 12 months, compared with usual care (NEJM JW Gen Med Mar 23 2004). Now, investigators report the long-term effects of the same intervention in about 1200 adults (age, ≥60) who were screened for depression at 20 U.S. primary care practices; half of the participants had minor or major depression at baseline. Practices were randomized to provide the intervention or usual care for 2 years.

After a median follo…