Problem-solving treatment for depression among Mexican Americans in primary care

The need to identify and improve access to evidence-based treatments for depressive disorders and other mental health problems is a public health priority, particularly in relation to racial/ethnic minorities and other underserved groups. One hundred forty-six Mexican American primary care patients who met diagnostic criteria for major depressive disorder, dysthymic disorder, or depressive disorder not otherwise specified (NOS) were offered eight sessions of an evidence-based behavioral treatment, problem-solving treatment for primary care (PST-PC). Among participants who agreed to treatment (N=117), depressive symptom scores decreased over time; a minority of participants completed four or more sessions of PST-PC (N=55), and those participants had greater decreases in depressive symptom severity than participants who completed three or fewer PST-PC sessions (N=62) (Hopkins Symptom Checklist-20 scores declined on average 0.86+/-0.97 and 0.40+/-0.66 points for these groups, respectively, p<.05). More work is needed to enhance the engagement in treatments for depression, especially among Latinos in primary care.