Dialogues on depression management: the primary care and specialist perspectives

Depression is a major public health problem in the United States and is responsible for an enormous economic burden and loss of productivity and quality of life. In many cases, PCPs are well situated to identify and treat unrecognized depression, but an optimal treatment program often comprises both medical and psychotherapeutic interventions. Many collaborative models that integrate the efforts of PCPs, psychiatrists, behavioral health organizations, and workplace assistance programs are being tested and may prove to be the best direction for improving care for patients with depression. Looking ahead, improvement in treatment of depression will depend on numerous factors, including educating health care practitioners to recognize silent depression, expanding current collaborative models to cover more of the population, involving MCOs and payers in the development of effective treatment systems, and improving workplace-support programs to encourage more patients to seek appropriate care.