TY - JOUR
AU - D. F. Gros
AU - W. B. Haren
A1 - 
AB - OBJECTIVE: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is highly prevalent and impairing and highly likely to present in primary care settings. Recent efforts by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) have sought to integrate mental health services into primary care settings, leading to new specialty pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy treatment options for primary care patients. However, little is known about the effectiveness of these new services in primary care patients with MDD. The present study investigated the effectiveness of a brief, easy-to-administer, evidence-based psychotherapy behavioral activation in an integrated mental health/primary care setting in a southeastern VA medical center during the first year of the program. METHOD: Thirty-five veterans with MDD (DSM-IV criteria) completed an initial clinical intake, were given the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview, and began a 4-week behavioral activation program. Patients also completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) at intake, posttreatment, and at 1-month follow-up. The study was conducted from November 2009 to November 2010. RESULTS: Sixty percent (n = 21) of patients completed the brief behavioral activation. Treatment completers demonstrated significant reductions in symptoms of both anxiety and depression on the HADS at posttreatment (t values > 5.2, P values  1.16, g values > 1.02) and follow-up (t values > 4.0, P values  1.74, g values > 1.67) when compared to pretreatment levels. CONCLUSIONS: The present findings support the use of behavioral activation as an effective treatment for patients with MDD in a primary care setting. These findings suggest that new integrated primary care settings should incorporate behavioral activation to offer brief, evidence-based treatments that provide reliable symptom reductions in addition to possible reductions in treatment needs and better management of related physical health conditions.
BT - The primary care companion to CNS disorders
C5 - General Literature
CP - 4
CY - United States
DO - 10.4088/PCC.11m01136
IS - 4
JF - The primary care companion to CNS disorders
N2 - OBJECTIVE: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is highly prevalent and impairing and highly likely to present in primary care settings. Recent efforts by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) have sought to integrate mental health services into primary care settings, leading to new specialty pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy treatment options for primary care patients. However, little is known about the effectiveness of these new services in primary care patients with MDD. The present study investigated the effectiveness of a brief, easy-to-administer, evidence-based psychotherapy behavioral activation in an integrated mental health/primary care setting in a southeastern VA medical center during the first year of the program. METHOD: Thirty-five veterans with MDD (DSM-IV criteria) completed an initial clinical intake, were given the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview, and began a 4-week behavioral activation program. Patients also completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) at intake, posttreatment, and at 1-month follow-up. The study was conducted from November 2009 to November 2010. RESULTS: Sixty percent (n = 21) of patients completed the brief behavioral activation. Treatment completers demonstrated significant reductions in symptoms of both anxiety and depression on the HADS at posttreatment (t values > 5.2, P values  1.16, g values > 1.02) and follow-up (t values > 4.0, P values  1.74, g values > 1.67) when compared to pretreatment levels. CONCLUSIONS: The present findings support the use of behavioral activation as an effective treatment for patients with MDD in a primary care setting. These findings suggest that new integrated primary care settings should incorporate behavioral activation to offer brief, evidence-based treatments that provide reliable symptom reductions in addition to possible reductions in treatment needs and better management of related physical health conditions.
PP - United States
PY - 2011
SN - 2155-7780
T1 - Open trial of brief behavioral activation psychotherapy for depression in an integrated veterans affairs primary care setting
T2 - The primary care companion to CNS disorders
TI - Open trial of brief behavioral activation psychotherapy for depression in an integrated veterans affairs primary care setting
U1 - General Literature
U2 - 22132363
U3 - 10.4088/PCC.11m01136
VL - 13
VO - 2155-7780
Y1 - 2011
ER -