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Mental Health

Study Examples | Key Publications | Intro

The past several years have seen important advances in the understanding and treatment of common mental health problems from both a biological and psychological perspective. How can health systems help their patients benefit from these advances? That’s the real-world question facing health care systems worldwide. The gap between what we know about managing mental health problems and what actually happens in everyday practice is a persistent problem. Recognizing this, Group Health Center for Health Studies (CHS) scientists are testing a variety of models for improving care of common mental health problems in both primary care and mental health specialty settings. This research focuses on translating proven treatments into everyday practice and on reorganizing health care to support evidence-based treatment.

Research to improve care of mental health problems draws heavily on the Chronic Care Model developed by the MacColl Institute at CHS. According to this model, these are among the key principles of effective care:

• Reorganizing care to promote active follow-up
• Expert systems to promote evidence-based practice
• Strong support for patient self-management
• Appropriate use of specialty expertise and consultation

Mental health research at CHS has evaluated a number of innovative strategies to accomplish those principles including the following:

• Redesigning collaborative relationships between primary care physicians and psychiatrists
• Providing medication follow-up and psychotherapy by telephone
• Self-management support groups led by peers or fellow patients
• Nurse care-managers to support care of complex multi-problem patients
• Resources for self-monitoring and self-management on the Internet

"Our mental health research is now focusing on patients with multiple diagnoses—for example, people with depression and conditions such as diabetes, obesity, and arthritis," says Michael Von Korff, ScD, senior investigator at CHS. "This work shows the relevance of mental health care to general medicine," he adds. "At the same time, it is helping us develop general approaches to improving the quality of health care for all patients, not just those with mental health problems."

The scientists studying mental health innovations enjoy a particularly close partnership with University of Washington (UW) colleagues, dating back nearly two decades to CHS’ early years.

Study Examples | Key Publications | Intro

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