TY - JOUR
AU - L. C. Kvalbein-Olsen
AU - E. Aakhus
AU - O. R. Haavet
AU - I. Mdala
AU - E. L. Werner
A1 - 
AB - BACKGROUND: Depression in older adults is mainly treated in general practice but is often constrained by limited resources in primary healthcare services and suboptimal access to assistance from specialized care. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a structured collaborative model between GPs and geriatric psychiatrists compared to standard follow-up for individuals aged ≥ 65 with depression. METHODS: Patients with moderate depressive symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire-9 [PHQ-9] scores of 10-19) were invited to participate in a cluster-randomized controlled trial evaluating a structured collaborative intervention model involving GPs and geriatric psychiatrists. The core component of the intervention consisted of two consecutive joint consultations with the GP, patient, and geriatric psychiatrist, supplemented by individual GP-patient consultations. PHQ-9 assessments were conducted at baseline and at 6, 12, and 18 months. The primary outcome was a ≥ 50% reduction in PHQ-9 scores. RESULTS: 35 general practitioners initially agreed to participate, yet only 19 managed to recruit one or more depressed patients. Consequently, a total of 34 patients were enrolled in the study, with 30 providing survey responses during the follow-up period for subsequent analysis. Binary analysis (≥ 50% symptom reduction) showed a greater likelihood of improvement in the intervention group compared to the control, though this difference did not reach statistical significance. Notably, both groups showed significant mean PHQ-9 score reductions (3.4 and 4.0, respectively) at 18 months, but differences in mean PHQ-9 scores between the groups across all time points were not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: This study did not yield significant results for the collaborative model implemented. Major challenges in the recruitment process likely contributed to the low participation rate, which may explain the absence of positive findings. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study was registered the 15.09.2019 in ClinicalTrials.gov with ID: NCT04078282.
AD - Department of General Practice, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway. l.c.kvalbein-olsen@medisin.uio.no.; The Norwegian National Centre for Ageing and Health, Vestfold Hospital Trust, Tønsberg, Norway.; Department of General Practice, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
AN - 41023858
BT - BMC Prim Care
C5 - Healthcare Disparities; Education & Workforce
CP - 1
DA - Sep 29
DO - 10.1186/s12875-025-03002-w
DP - NLM
ET - 20250929
IS - 1
JF - BMC Prim Care
LA - eng
N2 - BACKGROUND: Depression in older adults is mainly treated in general practice but is often constrained by limited resources in primary healthcare services and suboptimal access to assistance from specialized care. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a structured collaborative model between GPs and geriatric psychiatrists compared to standard follow-up for individuals aged ≥ 65 with depression. METHODS: Patients with moderate depressive symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire-9 [PHQ-9] scores of 10-19) were invited to participate in a cluster-randomized controlled trial evaluating a structured collaborative intervention model involving GPs and geriatric psychiatrists. The core component of the intervention consisted of two consecutive joint consultations with the GP, patient, and geriatric psychiatrist, supplemented by individual GP-patient consultations. PHQ-9 assessments were conducted at baseline and at 6, 12, and 18 months. The primary outcome was a ≥ 50% reduction in PHQ-9 scores. RESULTS: 35 general practitioners initially agreed to participate, yet only 19 managed to recruit one or more depressed patients. Consequently, a total of 34 patients were enrolled in the study, with 30 providing survey responses during the follow-up period for subsequent analysis. Binary analysis (≥ 50% symptom reduction) showed a greater likelihood of improvement in the intervention group compared to the control, though this difference did not reach statistical significance. Notably, both groups showed significant mean PHQ-9 score reductions (3.4 and 4.0, respectively) at 18 months, but differences in mean PHQ-9 scores between the groups across all time points were not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: This study did not yield significant results for the collaborative model implemented. Major challenges in the recruitment process likely contributed to the low participation rate, which may explain the absence of positive findings. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study was registered the 15.09.2019 in ClinicalTrials.gov with ID: NCT04078282.
PY - 2025
SN - 2731-4553
SP - 297
ST - Joint consultations in a structured GP-patient-geriatric-psychiatrist model for late-life depression: a cluster RCT
T1 - Joint consultations in a structured GP-patient-geriatric-psychiatrist model for late-life depression: a cluster RCT
T2 - BMC Prim Care
TI - Joint consultations in a structured GP-patient-geriatric-psychiatrist model for late-life depression: a cluster RCT
U1 - Healthcare Disparities; Education & Workforce
U3 - 10.1186/s12875-025-03002-w
VL - 26
VO - 2731-4553
Y1 - 2025
ER -