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Integration of geriatric mental health screening into a primary care practice: a patient satisfaction survey
Author(s) -
Samuels S.,
Abrams R.,
Shengelia R.,
Reid M. C.,
Goralewicz R.,
Breckman R.,
Anderson M. A.,
Snow C. E.,
Woods E. C.,
Stern A.,
Eimicke J. P.,
Adelman R. D.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
international journal of geriatric psychiatry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.28
H-Index - 129
eISSN - 1099-1166
pISSN - 0885-6230
DOI - 10.1002/gps.4180
Subject(s) - anxiety , medicine , depression (economics) , mental health , primary care , family medicine , psychiatry , geriatric depression scale , health care , depressive symptoms , economic growth , economics , macroeconomics
Objective Colocation of mental health screening, assessment, and treatment in primary care reduces stigma, improves access, and increases coordination of care between mental health and primary care providers. However, little information exists regarding older adults' attitudes about screening for mental health problems in primary care. The objective of this study was to evaluate older primary care patients' acceptance of and satisfaction with screening for depression and anxiety. Methods The study was conducted at an urban, academically affiliated primary care practice serving older adults. Study patients ( N = 107) were screened for depression/anxiety and underwent a post‐screening survey/interview to assess their reactions to the screening experience. Results Most patients (88.6%) found the length of the screening to be “just right.” A majority found the screening questions somewhat or very acceptable (73.4%) and not at all difficult (81.9%). Most participants did not find the questions stressful (84.9%) or intrusive (91.5%); and a majority were not at all embarrassed (93.4%), upset (93.4%), or uncomfortable (88.8%) during the screening process. When asked about frequency of screening, most patients (72.4%) desired screening for depression/anxiety yearly or more. Of the 79 patients who had spoken with their physicians about mental health during the visit, 89.8% reported that it was easy or very easy to talk with their physicians about depression/anxiety. Multivariate results showed that patients with higher anxiety had a lower positive reaction to the screen when controlling for gender, age, and patient–physician communication. Conclusions These results demonstrate strong patient support for depression and anxiety screening in primary care. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.