Literature Collection

OBJECTIVES: Understanding the epidemiology of treatment for patients with co-occurring depression and obesity can inform care quality. The objective of the study was to identify how patients with obesity and newly diagnosed depression are treated and whether treatment is associated with body mass index change. METHODS: This cohort study included adults with obesity and newly diagnosed depression who had ≥2 primary care visits between 2015 and 2020 at a large integrated health system. Treatment within 45 days of a depression diagnosis was identified, including antiobesity medication and group or individual weight management visits (eg, bariatric medicine); antidepressant prescriptions; or visits with a psychologist, social worker, or psychiatrist. Patients were grouped into treatment groups: none, depression only, weight management only, or both. Generalized structural equation models were used to identify the association between treatment group and body mass index change at 6 and 12 months, accounting for demographic and health characteristics as fixed variables and clinician identifier as a random variable. RESULTS: Of the 13,729 adults, 43% received depression treatment, 3% received weight management treatment, and 4% received both. Individuals who received weight management treatment only lost more weight at 6 months (β = -1.0 kg/m(2)) and 12 months (β = -1.07 kg/m(2)) than individuals with no treatment. Individuals who had both treatments lost more weight than individuals with depression treatment alone (6 months: β = -1.07 kg/m(2); 12 months: β = -1.21 kg/m(2)) and underwent a similar average change than those who received weight management treatment alone (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: There is an opportunity to increase treatment for obesity among patients with newly diagnosed depression.

Integrated care for children and young people in England represents a transformative shift towards holistic, person-centred health services tailored to the needs of local communities. In this first part of a series of three, we describe what we mean by integrated care, and why it is needed now, setting the context for the subsequent parts that detail integrated care's core components and practical implementation.Integrated care addresses multidimensional needs-physical health, mental wellbeing, education and social development-while reducing fragmentation and inefficiency. This approach enables early intervention and improves health equity. Key benefits include streamlined access for families, reduced hospital admissions and better outcomes for vulnerable groups, such as children with complex conditions or those facing social and economic challenges.The evolution of UK child health policy, from the 1959 Platt Report to the 2025 National Health Service 10-Year Health Plan for England, underscores the growing emphasis on multidisciplinary, community-based models. By adopting a whole-population approach-segmenting children by health and social needs rather than rigid pathways-integrated care enables every child to be supported and cared for.Ultimately, integrated care is not just an improvement but a necessity, addressing rising demand, workforce pressures and persistent inequities. It fosters proactive, collaborative systems that prioritise children's wellbeing, offering a sustainable future for child health and care services in England.

This article explores the core components of effective integrated care for children and young people, moving beyond theory to present practical implementation. It outlines five essential elements: proactive case identification through risk stratification; multidisciplinary case discussion for holistic care planning; direct, joint clinical care in community settings; continuous professional knowledge sharing; and active engagement of families and communities in co-producing services. These components work synergistically to shift care from a reactive to a preventative model, and to shift care from the hospital to the community. Supported by real-world case studies, the analysis demonstrates how this approach provides holistic, equitable and coordinated care that is tailored to the evolving needs of children and their families. As the second paper in a three-part series, this article bridges the rationale for integrated care established in Part 1, with the practical implementation framework provided in Part 3.