New Report Indicates that Integrating Mental Health and Physical Health Care Services can Benefit Patients with Depression

A new report released by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) of the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) found evidence that people treated for depression in primary care clinics that provide a coordinated set of mental and physical health do better and have fewer symptoms than patients who are treated at sites that just provide health services.

The report entitled Integration of Mental Health/Substance Abuse and Primary Care, also found that patients treated in specialty mental health centers appear to benefit when the facilities offer general medical care.

The report was co-funded by HHS' Health Resources and Services Administration, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Office of Women's Health, and Office of Minority Health, and conducted by the AHRQ-supported University of Minnesota Evidence-based Research Center in Minneapolis.

Read Online  |  View the Report  (1.43 MB)