Association Between Adverse Social Determinants of Health and Suicide Death.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to identify adverse social determinants of health (SDoH) International Statistical Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) code prevalence among individuals who died by suicide and to examine associations between documented adverse SDoH and suicide. RESEARCH DESIGN: A case-control study using linked medical record, insurance claim, and mortality data from 2000 to 2015 obtained from 9 Mental Health Research Network-affiliated health systems. We included 3330 individuals who died by suicide and 333,000 randomly selected controls matched on index year and health system location. All individuals in the study (cases and controls) had at least 10 months of enrollment before the study index date. The index date for the study for each case and their matched controls was the suicide date for that given case. RESULTS: Adverse SDoH documentation was low; only 6.6% of cases had ≥1 documented adverse SDoH in the year before suicide. Any documented SDoH and several specific adverse SDoH categories were more frequent among cases than controls. Any documented adverse SDoH was associated with higher suicide odds [adjusted odds ratio (aOR)=2.76; 95% CI: 2.38-3.20], as was family alcoholism/drug addiction (aOR=18.23; 95% CI: 8.54-38.92), being an abuse victim/perpetrator (aOR=2.53; 95% CI: 1.99-3.21), other primary support group problems (aOR=1.91; 95% CI: 1.32-2.75), employment/occupational maladjustment problems (aOR=8.83; 95% CI: 5.62-13.87), housing/economic problems (aOR: 6.41; 95% CI: 4.47-9.19), legal problems (aOR=27.30; 95% CI: 12.35-60.33), and other psychosocial problems (aOR=2.58; 95% CI: 1.98-3.36). CONCLUSIONS: Although documented SDoH prevalence was low, several adverse SDoH were associated with increased suicide odds, supporting calls to increase SDoH documentation in medical records. This will improve understanding of SDoH prevalence and assist in identification and intervention among individuals at high suicide risk.

Suicide Deaths Before and During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic: An Interrupted Time-series Study.

INTRODUCTION: With stressors that are often associated with suicide increasing during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, there has been concern that suicide mortality rates may also be increasing. Our objective was to determine whether suicide mortality rates increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: We conducted an interrupted time-series study using data from January 2019 through December 2020 from 2 large integrated health care systems. The population at risk included all patients or individuals enrolled in a health plan at HealthPartners in Minnesota or Henry Ford Health System in Michigan. The primary outcome was change in suicide mortality rates, expressed as annualized crude rates of suicide death per 100,000 people in 10 months following the start of the pandemic in March 2020 compared with the 14 months prior. RESULTS: There were 6,434,675 people at risk in the sample, with 55% women and a diverse sample across ages, race/ethnicity, and insurance type. From January 2019 through February 2020, there was a slow increase in the suicide mortality rate, with rates then decreasing by 0.45 per 100,000 people per month from March 2020 through December 2020 (SE=0.19, P=0.03). CONCLUSIONS: Overall suicide mortality rates did not increase with the pandemic, and in fact slightly declined from March to December 2020. Our findings should be confirmed across other settings and, when available, using final adjudicated state mortality data.

The relationship between depressive symptoms and subtypes of mild cognitive impairment in post-menopausal women: Results from the Women's Health Initiative Memory Study.

BACKGROUND: Depressive symptoms are associated with age-related cognitive impairment, but the relative risk of specific subtypes of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) conferred by depressive symptoms is unclear. The purpose of this exploratory study was to determine the longitudinal association between baseline depressive symptoms and incident cases of MCI subtypes (amnestic vs. non-amnestic) and probable dementia (PD) (Alzheimer's disease, vascular, mixed) among postmenopausal women. METHODS: Depressive symptoms were assessed at study baseline using an 8-item Burnam algorithm in 7043 postmenopausal women who participated in the Women's Health Initiative Memory Study (WHIMS) and the WHIMS-Epidemiology of Cognitive Health Outcomes (WHIMS-ECHO) extension study. During the median 9.4-year follow-up interval, the presence of MCI and PD was classified by a central adjudication committee. Classification of participants by MCI subtype (amnestic single and multi-domain, non-amnestic single and multi-domain) was done algorithmically based on established criteria using data from annual cognitive testing. RESULTS: At baseline, 557 women (7.9%) had clinically significant depressive symptoms based on Burnam algorithm cut-point of 0.06. Depressive symptoms at baseline were associated with an increased risk of incident amnestic MCI (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.91, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.32-2.78, p < 0.0001), but not non-amnestic MCI (HR = 1.39, 95% CI 0.91-2.14, p = 0.13) after controlling for demographic factors. This relationship between depressive symptoms and amnestic MCI remained consistent after controlling for lifestyle variables, cardiovascular risk factors, antidepressant use, and history of hormone therapy. There were no significant associations between depressive symptoms and incidence of PD. CONCLUSION: Depressive symptoms at baseline among postmenopausal older women are associated with higher incidence of amnestic MCI, suggesting that they may be an independent risk factor or part of the early prodrome of dementia.

Patient expectations of and experiences with a suicide risk identification algorithm in clinical practice.

BACKGROUND: Suicide risk prediction models derived from electronic health records (EHR) and insurance claims are a novel innovation in suicide prevention but patient perspectives on their use have been understudied. METHODS: In this qualitative study, between March and November 2020, 62 patients were interviewed from three health systems: one anticipating implementation of an EHR-derived suicide risk prediction model and two others piloting different implementation approaches. Site-tailored interview guides focused on patients' perceptions of this technology, concerns, and preferences for and experiences with suicide risk prediction model implementation in clinical practice. A constant comparative analytic approach was used to derive themes. RESULTS: Interview participants were generally supportive of suicide risk prediction models derived from EHR data. Concerns included apprehension about inducing anxiety and suicidal thoughts, or triggering coercive treatment, particularly among those who reported prior negative experiences seeking mental health care. Participants who were engaged in mental health care or case management expected to be asked about their suicide risk and largely appreciated suicide risk conversations, particularly by clinicians comfortable discussing suicidality. CONCLUSION: Most patients approved of suicide risk models that use EHR data to identify patients at-risk for suicide. As health systems proceed to implement such models, patient-centered care would involve dialogue initiated by clinicians experienced with assessing suicide risk during virtual or in person care encounters. Health systems should proactively monitor for negative consequences that result from risk model implementation to protect patient trust.

Effect of Offering Care Management or Online Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Training vs Usual Care on Self-harm Among Adult Outpatients With Suicidal Ideation: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: People at risk of self-harm or suicidal behavior can be accurately identified, but effective prevention will require effective scalable interventions. Objective: To compare 2 low-intensity outreach programs with usual care for prevention of suicidal behavior among outpatients who report recent frequent suicidal thoughts. Design, Setting, and Participants: Pragmatic randomized clinical trial including outpatients reporting frequent suicidal thoughts identified using routine Patient Health Questionnaire depression screening at 4 US integrated health systems. A total of 18 882 patients were randomized between March 2015 and September 2018, and ascertainment of outcomes continued through March 2020. Interventions: Patients were randomized to a care management intervention (n = 6230) that included systematic outreach and care, a skills training intervention (n = 6227) that introduced 4 dialectical behavior therapy skills (mindfulness, mindfulness of current emotion, opposite action, and paced breathing), or usual care (n = 6187). Interventions, lasting up to 12 months, were delivered primarily through electronic health record online messaging and were intended to supplement ongoing mental health care. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was time to first nonfatal or fatal self-harm. Nonfatal self-harm was ascertained from health system records, and fatal self-harm was ascertained from state mortality data. Secondary outcomes included more severe self-harm (leading to death or hospitalization) and a broader definition of self-harm (selected injuries and poisonings not originally coded as self-harm). Results: A total of 18 644 patients (9009 [48%] aged 45 years or older; 12 543 [67%] female; 9222 [50%] from mental health specialty clinics and the remainder from primary care) contributed at least 1 day of follow-up data and were included in analyses. Thirty-one percent of participants offered care management and 39% offered skills training actively engaged in intervention programs. A total of 540 participants had a self-harm event (including 45 deaths attributed to self-harm and 495 nonfatal self-harm events) over 18 months following randomization: 172 (3.27%) in care management, 206 (3.92%) in skills training, and 162 (3.27%) in usual care. Risk of fatal or nonfatal self-harm over 18 months did not differ significantly between the care management and usual care groups (hazard ratio [HR], 1.07; 97.5% CI, 0.84-1.37) but was significantly higher in the skills training group than in usual care (HR, 1.29; 97.5% CI, 1.02-1.64). For severe self-harm, care management vs usual care had an HR of 1.03 (97.5% CI, 0.71-1.51); skills training vs usual care had an HR of 1.34 (97.5% CI, 0.94-1.91). For the broader self-harm definition, care management vs usual care had an HR of 1.10 (97.5% CI, 0.92-1.33); skills training vs usual care had an HR of 1.17 (97.5% CI, 0.97-1.41). Conclusions and Relevance: Among adult outpatients with frequent suicidal ideation, offering care management did not significantly reduce risk of self-harm, and offering brief dialectical behavior therapy skills training significantly increased risk of self-harm, compared with usual care. These findings do not support implementation of the programs tested in this study. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02326883.

Prevalence and Medication Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder Among Primary Care Patients with Hepatitis C and HIV.

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis C and HIV are associated with opioid use disorders (OUD) and injection drug use. Medications for OUD can prevent the spread of HCV and HIV. OBJECTIVE: To describe the prevalence of documented OUD, as well as receipt of office-based medication treatment, among primary care patients with HCV or HIV. DESIGN: Retrospective observational cohort study using electronic health record and insurance data. PARTICIPANTS: Adults ≥ 18 years with ≥ 2 visits to primary care during the study (2014-2016) at 6 healthcare systems across five states (CO, CA, OR, WA, and MN). MAIN MEASURES: The primary outcome was the diagnosis of OUD; the secondary outcome was OUD treatment with buprenorphine or oral/injectable naltrexone. Prevalence of OUD and OUD treatment was calculated across four groups: HCV only; HIV only; HCV and HIV; and neither HCV nor HIV. In addition, adjusted odds ratios (AOR) of OUD treatment associated with HCV and HIV (separately) were estimated, adjusting for age, gender, race/ethnicity, and site. KEY RESULTS: The sample included 1,368,604 persons, of whom 10,042 had HCV, 5821 HIV, and 422 both. The prevalence of diagnosed OUD varied across groups: 11.9% (95% CI: 11.3%, 12.5%) for those with HCV; 1.6% (1.3%, 2.0%) for those with HIV; 8.8% (6.2%, 11.9%) for those with both; and 0.92% (0.91%, 0.94%) among those with neither. Among those with diagnosed OUD, the prevalence of OUD medication treatment was 20.9%, 16.0%, 10.8%, and 22.3%, for those with HCV, HIV, both, and neither, respectively. HCV was not associated with OUD treatment (AOR = 1.03; 0.88, 1.21), whereas patients with HIV had a lower probability of OUD treatment (AOR = 0.43; 0.26, 0.72). CONCLUSIONS: Among patients receiving primary care, those diagnosed with HCV and HIV were more likely to have documented OUD than those without. Patients with HIV were less likely to have documented medication treatment for OUD.

The Role of the Patient-Centered Medical Home in Treating Depression.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This review discusses the role of the patient-centered medical home (PCMH) in treating depression, focusing on findings from primary care-based studies and their implications for the PCMH. RECENT FINDINGS: Pharmacotherapy, psychotherapy, and collaborative care are evidence-based treatments for depression that can be delivered in primary care and extended to diverse populations. Recent research aligns with the core components of the PCMH model. The core components of the PCMH are critical elements of depression treatment. Comprehensive care within the PCMH addresses medical and behavioral health concerns, including depression. Psychiatric and psychological care must be flexibly delivered so services remain accessible yet patient-centered. To ensure the quality and safety of treatment, depression symptoms must be consistently monitored. Coordination within and occasionally outside of the PCMH is needed to ensure patients receive the appropriate level of care. More research is needed to empirically evaluate depression treatment within the PCMH.

Screening for Cognitive Impairment in Older Adults: Updated Evidence Report and Systematic Review for the US Preventive Services Task Force.

Importance: Early identification of cognitive impairment may improve patient and caregiver health outcomes. Objective: To systematically review the test accuracy of cognitive screening instruments and benefits and harms of interventions to treat cognitive impairment in older adults (≥65 years) to inform the US Preventive Services Task Force. Data Sources: MEDLINE, PubMed, PsycINFO, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials through January 2019, with literature surveillance through November 22, 2019. Study Selection: Fair- to good-quality English-language studies of cognitive impairment screening instruments, and pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic treatments aimed at persons with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), mild to moderate dementia, or their caregivers. Data Extraction and Synthesis: Independent critical appraisal and data abstraction; random-effects meta-analyses and qualitative synthesis. Main Outcomes and Measures: Sensitivity, specificity; patient, caregiver, and clinician decision-making; patient function, quality of life, and neuropsychiatric symptoms; caregiver burden and well-being. Results: The review included 287 studies with more than 280 000 older adults. One randomized clinical trial (RCT) (n = 4005) examined the direct effect of screening for cognitive impairment on patient outcomes, including potential harms, finding no significant differences in health-related quality of life at 12 months (effect size, 0.009 [95% CI, -0.063 to 0.080]). Fifty-nine studies (n = 38 531) addressed the accuracy of 49 screening instruments to detect cognitive impairment. The Mini-Mental State Examination was the most-studied instrument, with a pooled sensitivity of 0.89 (95% CI, 0.85 to 0.92) and specificity of 0.89 (95% CI, 0.85 to 0.93) to detect dementia using a cutoff of 23 or less or 24 or less (15 studies, n = 12 796). Two hundred twenty-four RCTs and 3 observational studies including more than 240 000 patients or caregivers addressed the treatment of MCI or mild to moderate dementia. None of the treatment trials were linked with a screening program; in all cases, participants were persons with known cognitive impairment. Medications approved to treat Alzheimer disease (donepezil, galantamine, rivastigmine, and memantine) improved scores on the ADAS-Cog 11 by 1 to 2.5 points over 3 months to 3 years. Psychoeducation interventions for caregivers resulted in a small benefit for caregiver burden (standardized mean difference, -0.24 [95% CI, -0.36 to -0.13) over 3 to 12 months. Intervention benefits were small and of uncertain clinical importance. Conclusions and Relevance: Screening instruments can adequately detect cognitive impairment. There is no empirical evidence, however, that screening for cognitive impairment improves patient or caregiver outcomes or causes harm. It remains unclear whether interventions for patients or caregivers provide clinically important benefits for older adults with earlier detected cognitive impairment or their caregivers.

Variation in patterns of health care before suicide: A population case-control study.

BACKGROUND: The United States has experienced a significant rise in suicide. As decision makers identify how to address this national concern, healthcare systems have been identified as an optimal location for prevention. OBJECTIVE: To compare variation in patterns of healthcare use, by health setting, between individuals who died by suicide and the general population. DESIGN: Case-Control Study. SETTING: Eight healthcare systems across the United States. PARTICIPANTS: 2674 individuals who died by suicide between 2000 and 2013 along with 267,400 individuals matched on time-period of health plan membership and health system affiliation. MEASUREMENTS: Healthcare use in the emergency room, inpatient hospital, primary care, and outpatient specialty setting measured using electronic health record data during the 7-, 30-, 60-, 90-, 180-, and 365-day time periods before suicide and matched index date for controls. RESULTS: Healthcare use was more common across all healthcare settings for individuals who died by suicide. Nearly 30% of individuals had a healthcare visit in the 7-days before suicide (6.5% emergency, 16.3% outpatient specialty, and 9.5% primary care), over half within 30 days, and >90% within 365 days. Those who died by suicide averaged 16.7 healthcare visits during the year. The relative risk of suicide was greatest for individuals who received care in the inpatient setting (aOR = 6.23). There was both a large relative risk (aOR = 3.08) and absolute utilization rate (43.8%) in the emergency room before suicide. LIMITATIONS: Participant race/ethnicity was not available. The sample did not include uninsured individuals. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides important data about how care utilization differs for those who die by suicide compared to the general population and can inform decision makers on targeting of suicide prevention activities within health systems.

Are wishes for death or suicidal ideation symptoms of depression in older adults?

OBJECTIVE: Clinicians may question whether thoughts of being better off dead are normal consequences of aging or symptoms of depression. We examine whether thoughts of suicide are as strongly linked to depression severity in older adults as they are in other age groups. METHODS: Cross-sectional cohort study. Participants included 509,945 outpatients >18 years old from four large integrated healthcare systems in the Mental Health Research Network who completed 1.2 million Patient Health Questionnaires (PHQ) and had data to calculate Charlson Comorbidity Index scores from 2010 through 2012. The PHQ8 estimated depression severity, while suicidal ideation was measured using the 9th item of the PHQ. Data were abstracted from a Virtual Data Warehouse. RESULTS: In older adult patients, suicidal ideation was strongly associated with depression severity. Older adults who had at least moderately-severe depression (PHQ8 ≥15) were 48 times more likely (95% CI: 42.8-53.8) to report suicidal ideation than those with minimal or mild symptoms of depression (PHQ8 <10) after adjustment for all other variables in the model, including medical comorbidity burden. CONCLUSIONS: Depression severity was by far the strongest predictor of suicidal ideation in older adult patients. Older patients with suicidal ideation should be screened for depression.

The Mediating Effect of Sleep Disturbance on the Relationship Between Nonmalignant Chronic Pain and Suicide Death.

IMPORTANCE: Few studies have examined the relationship between nonmalignant chronic pain (NMCP) and suicide death, and even fewer have specifically explored what role sleep disturbance might play in the association between NMCP and suicide death. OBJECTIVE: To assess whether sleep disturbance mediates the relationship between NMCP and suicide death. DESIGN: This case-control study included 2,674 individuals who died by suicide between 2000 and 2013 (cases) and 267,400 matched individuals (controls). SETTING: Eight Mental Health Research Network (MHRN)-affiliated healthcare systems. PARTICIPANTS: All cases and matched controls were health plan members for at least 10 months during the year prior to the index date. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Sociodemographic data and diagnosis codes for NMCP and sleep disorders were extracted from the MHRN's Virtual Data Warehouse. Suicide mortality was identified using International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD)-10 codes from official government mortality records matched to health system records. RESULTS: After accounting for covariates, there was a significant relationship between NMCP and sleep disturbance; those who were diagnosed with NMCP were more likely to develop subsequent sleep disturbance. Similarly, sleep disturbance was significantly associated with suicide death. Finally, a significant indirect effect of NMCP on suicide death, through sleep disturbance, and a nonsignificant direct effect of NMCP on suicide death provide support for a fully mediated model. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: There is a need for clinicians to screen for both sleep disturbance and suicidal ideation in NMCP patients and for health systems to implement more widespread behavioral treatments that address comorbid sleep problems and NMCP.

Dermatologic Conditions and Risk of Suicide: A Case-Control Study.

BACKGROUND: Patients diagnosed with skin conditions have a higher risk of comorbid psychiatric conditions and suicide-related outcomes such as suicidal ideations and behaviors. There is paucity of evidence in the US general population about the risk of suicide death in patients with dermatologic conditions. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective case-control study to investigate the risk of suicide death in patients receiving care for dermatologic conditions. This study involved 8 US health systems. A total of 2674 individuals who died by suicide (cases) were matched with 267,400 general population control individuals. RESULTS: After adjusting for age, sex, and any mental health or substance use condition, we did not find an association between death by suicide and any skin condition including conditions where clinicians are generally concerned about the risk such as acne (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.04, p = 0.814), atopic dermatitis (aOR = 0.77, p = 0.28), and psoriasis (aOR = 0.91, p = 0.64). CONCLUSION: This case-control study provides no evidence of increased risk of death by suicide in individuals with major skin disorders in the US general population.

Between-visit changes in suicidal ideation and risk of subsequent suicide attempt.

BACKGROUND: While clinicians are expected to routinely assess and address suicide risk, existing data provide little guidance regarding the significance of visit-to-visit changes in suicidal ideation. METHODS: Electronic health records from four large healthcare systems identified patients completing the Patient Health Questionnaire or PHQ9 at outpatient visits. For patients completing two questionnaires within 90 days, health system records and state vital records were used to identify nonfatal and fatal suicide attempts. Analyses examined how changes in PHQ9 item 9 responses between visits predicted suicide attempt or suicide death over 90 days following the second visit. RESULTS: Analyses included 430,701 pairs of item 9 responses for 118,696 patients. Among patients reporting thoughts of death or self-harm "nearly every day" at the first visit, risk of suicide attempt after the second visit ranged from approximately 2.0% among those reporting continued thoughts "nearly every day" down to 0.5% among those reporting a decrease to "not at all." Among those reporting thoughts of death or self-harm "not at all" at the first visit, risk of suicide attempt following the second visit ranged from approximately 0.2% among those continuing to report such thoughts "not at all" up to 1.2% among those reporting an increase to "nearly every day". CONCLUSIONS: Resolution of suicidal ideation between visits does imply a clinically important reduction in short-term risk, but prior suicidal ideation still implies significant residual risk. Onset of suicidal ideation between visits does not imply any special elevation compared to ongoing suicidal ideation. Risk is actually highest for patients repeatedly reporting thoughts of death or self-harm.

The impact of race and ethnicity on rates of return to psychotherapy for depression.

BACKGROUND: There are many limitations with the evidence base for the role of race and ethnicity in continuation of psychotherapy for depression. METHODS: The study sample consisted of 242,765 patients ≥ 18 years old from six healthcare systems in the Mental Health Research Network (MHRN) who had a new episode of psychotherapy treatment for depression between 1/1/2010 and 12/31/2013. Data were from electronic medical records and organized in a Virtual Data Warehouse (VDW). The odds of racial and ethnic minority patients returning for a second psychotherapy visit within 45 days of the initial session were examined using multilevel regression. RESULTS: The sample was primarily middle aged (68%, 30-64 years old), female (68.5%), and non-Hispanic white (50.7%), had commercial insurance (81.4%), and a low comorbidity burden (68.8% had no major comorbidities). Return rates within 45 days of the first psychotherapy visit were 47.6%. Compared to their non-Hispanic white counterparts, racial and ethnic minority patients were somewhat less likely to return to psychotherapy for a second visit (adjusted odds ratios [aORs] ranged from 0.80 to 0.90). Healthcare system was a much stronger predictor of return rates (aORs ranged from 0.89 to 5.53), while providers accounted for 21.1% of the variance in return rates. CONCLUSIONS: Provider and healthcare system variation were stronger predictors of patient return to psychotherapy than race and ethnicity. More research is needed to understand why providers and healthcare systems determine psychotherapy return rates for patients of all racial and ethnic groups.

IntelliCare: An Eclectic, Skills-Based App Suite for the Treatment of Depression and Anxiety.

BACKGROUND: Digital mental health tools have tended to use psychoeducational strategies based on treatment orientations developed and validated outside of digital health. These features do not map well to the brief but frequent ways that people use mobile phones and mobile phone apps today. To address these challenges, we developed a suite of apps for depression and anxiety called IntelliCare, each developed with a focused goal and interactional style. IntelliCare apps prioritize interactive skills training over education and are designed for frequent but short interactions. OBJECTIVE: The overall objective of this study was to pilot a coach-assisted version of IntelliCare and evaluate its use and efficacy at reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety. METHODS: Participants, recruited through a health care system, Web-based and community advertising, and clinical research registries, were included in this single-arm trial if they had elevated symptoms of depression or anxiety. Participants had access to the 14 IntelliCare apps from Google Play and received 8 weeks of coaching on the use of IntelliCare. Coaching included an initial phone call plus 2 or more texts per week over the 8 weeks, with some participants receiving an additional brief phone call. Primary outcomes included the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) for depression and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) for anxiety. Participants were compensated up to US $90 for completing all assessments; compensation was not for app use or treatment engagement. RESULTS: Of the 99 participants who initiated treatment, 90.1% (90/99) completed 8 weeks. Participants showed substantial reductions in the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 (P<.001). Participants used the apps an average of 195.4 (SD 141) times over the 8 weeks. The average length of use was 1.1 (SD 2.1) minutes, and 95% of participants downloaded 5 or more of the IntelliCare apps. CONCLUSIONS: This study supports the IntelliCare framework of providing a suite of skills-focused apps that can be used frequently and briefly to reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety. The IntelliCare system is elemental, allowing individual apps to be used or not used based on their effectiveness and utility, and it is eclectic, viewing treatment strategies as elements that can be applied as needed rather than adhering to a singular, overarching, theoretical model. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov NCT02176226; http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02176226 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation/6mQZuBGk1).

The Brain in Kidney Disease (BRINK) Cohort Study: Design and Baseline Cognitive Function.

BACKGROUND: The Brain in Kidney Disease (BRINK) Study aims to identify mechanisms that contribute to increased risk for cognitive impairment in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). We describe the rationale, design, and methods of the study and report baseline recruitment and cognitive function results. STUDY DESIGN: Longitudinal observational cohort study of the epidemiology of cognitive impairment in CKD. The primary aim is to characterize the association between (1) baseline and incident stroke, white matter disease, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), inflammation, microalbuminuria, and dialysis initiation and (2) cognitive decline over 3 years in a CKD cohort with a mean eGFR<45 mL/min/1.73 m(2). SETTING & PARTICIPANTS: Community-dwelling participants 45 years or older recruited from 4 health systems into 2 groups: reduced eGFR, defined as eGFR<60 mL/min/1.73 m(2) (non-dialysis dependent), and control, defined as eGFR≥60 mL/min/1.73 m(2). PREDICTOR: eGFR group. OUTCOMES: Performance on cognitive function tests and structural brain magnetic resonance imaging. MEASUREMENTS: Sequential cognitive and physical function testing, serum and urine biomarker measurement, and brain magnetic resonance images over 3 years. RESULTS: Of 554 participants, mean age was 69.3 years; 333, 88, and 133 had eGFRs<45 (non-dialysis dependent, nontransplantation), 45 to <60, and ≥60 (controls) mL/min/1.73 m(2), respectively. Mean eGFR in reduced-eGFR participants was 34.3 mL/min/1.73 m(2). Baseline cognitive performance was significantly associated with eGFR in all domains except language. Participants with eGFRs<30 mL/min/1.73 m(2) performed significantly worse than those with eGFRs≥30 mL/min/1.73 m(2) on tests of memory, processing speed, and executive function. Participants with reduced eGFRs overall scored worst on the Immediate Brief Visual-Spatial Memory Test-Revised. LIMITATIONS: Healthy cohort bias, competing risk for death versus cognitive decline. CONCLUSIONS: Cognitive function was significantly worse in participants with eGFRs<30 mL/min/1.73 m(2). Future BRINK analyses will measure risk factors for cognitive decline using the longitudinal data.

A Statewide Effort to Implement Collaborative Care for Depression: Reach and Impact for All Patients With Depression.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the reach and impact of collaborative care for depression outside of clinical trials. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to examine the effect of a collaborative care intervention for depression on the rates of depression diagnosis, use of specific depression codes, and treatment intensification. RESEARCH DESIGN: Evaluation of a staggered, multiple baseline implementation initiative. SUBJECTS: Patients receiving depression care in primary care clinics throughout Minnesota from February 2008 through March 2011. MEASURES: Data regarding depression diagnosis rates and codes, and measures of antidepressant intensification were provided by health insurers. RESULTS: Depression Improvement Across Minnesota: Offering a New Direction (DIAMOND) affected neither rates of depression recognition nor use of depression diagnostic codes, and the overall reach of DIAMOND was disappointingly small. Patients in DIAMOND had more episodes of treatment intensification than non-DIAMOND patients, but we were unable to account for depression severity in our analysis. CONCLUSIONS: DIAMOND did not affect depression recognition or diagnostic coding, but may have affected treatment intensification. Our results suggest that even strongly evidence-based interventions may have little contamination effects on patients not enrolled in the new care model.

ANTIDEPRESSANT ADHERENCE ACROSS DIVERSE POPULATIONS AND HEALTHCARE SETTINGS.

BACKGROUND: Early adherence is key to successful depression treatment, but nearly 60% of patients discontinue antidepressants within 3 months. Our study aimed to determine factors associated with poor early adherence to antidepressants in a large diverse sample of patients. METHODS: Six Mental Health Research Network healthcare systems contributed data for adults with depression and a new antidepressant start, defined by a washout period of at least 270 days, between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2012. Pharmacy fill and self-reported race/ethnicity data were obtained from the electronic medical record. Patients had early adherence if they had a second antidepressant fill within 180 days of the first. We used logistic regression to investigate the relationship between early adherence and patient characteristics. RESULTS: A total of 177,469 adult patients had 184,967 new episodes of depression with a filled antidepressant prescription. Patients refilled their antidepressants within 180 days in 71% of episodes. Race/ethnicity was a strong predictor of early adherence, with patients from racial/ethnic minorities other than Native Americans/Alaskan Natives less likely (adjusted odd ratios 0.50-0.59) to refill their antidepressants than non-Hispanic whites. Age, neighborhood education, comorbidity burden, provider type and engagement in psychotherapy were also associated with adherence. Other apparent predictors of early adherence, including neighborhood income, gender, and prior mental health hospitalizations, were no longer significant in the fully adjusted model. CONCLUSIONS: Race/ethnicity was a robust predictor of early antidepressant adherence, with minority groups other than Native Americans/Alaskan Natives less likely to be adherent. Further research is needed to determine whether early nonadherence in specific minority populations is intentional, due to side effects or patient preference, or unintentional and appropriate for targeted interventions to improve adherence.

The effects of patient-centered depression care on patient satisfaction and depression remission.

BACKGROUND: While health systems are striving for patient-centered care, they have little evidence to guide them on how to engage patients in their care, or how this may affect patient experiences and outcomes. OBJECTIVE: To explore which specific patient-centered aspects of care were best associated with depression improvement and care satisfaction. METHODS: Design: observational. SETTING: 83 primary care clinics across Minnesota. SUBJECTS: Primary care patients with new prescriptions for antidepressants for depression were recruited from 2007 to 2009. OUTCOME MEASURES: Patients completed phone surveys regarding demographics and self-rated health status and depression severity at baseline and 6 months. Patient centeredness was assessed via a modified version of the Patient Assessment of Chronic Illness Care. Differences in rates of remission and satisfaction between positive and negative responses for each care process were evaluated using chi-square tests. RESULTS: At 6 months, 37% of 792 patients ages 18-88 achieved depression remission, and 79% rated their care as good-to-excellent. Soliciting patient preferences for care and questions or concerns, providing treatment plans, utilizing depression scales and asking about suicide risk were patient-centered measures that were positively associated with depression remission in the unadjusted model; these associations were mildly weakened after adjustment for depression severity and health status. Nearly all measures of patient centeredness were positively associated with care ratings. CONCLUSION: The patient centeredness of care influences how patients experience and rate their care. This study identified specific actions providers can take to improve patient satisfaction and depression outcomes.