Depression experts point the way forward during National Suicide Prevention Week

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

A team approach is proving highly effective in treating depression among older people.
It is National Suicide Prevention Week and, to mark the occasion, Dr David Steffens of Duke University testifies today before the Senate Special Committee on Aging. He'll be talking about a new study which shows how a team based approach in primary care can reduce the frequency of suicidal thoughts among older people with depression. Older adults have the highest rate of suicide nationwide and, as you might expect, depression is a major risk factor. But fewer than ten per cent of older adults with depression see a mental health professional for treatment.

The IMPACT (Improving Mood: Promoting Access to Collaborative Treatment) study has been looking at how a team approach to treating depression among older people can improve outcomes. This involves a care manager, who is a nurse, psychologist or social worker, assisting the primary care provider in providing effective treatment in consultation with a team psychiatrist. The two year study revealed that those receiving IMPACT care were half as likely as those on standard care to report suicidal thoughts. Those on the IMPACT program were also twice as likely to improve and stay improved even 12 months after the end of the study. There were other improvements too - in physical functioning and quality of life, as well as in the experience of arthritis pain.

Source
Journal of the American Geriatric Society online October 2006

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