Problem-solving training for Veterans in home based primary care: an evaluation of intervention effectiveness

Veterans enrolled in Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Home Based Primary Care (HBPC), a program providing in-home medical and mental health care by an interdisciplinary care team, often face substantial physical, cognitive, and mental health challenges. This program evaluation examined the impact of a brief problem-solving intervention on depressive symptoms, quality of life, and problem-solving abilities for Veterans enrolled in HBPC.

Pre- and post-intervention outcomes for Veterans, and qualitative feedback from Veterans and clinicians regarding program satisfaction.

A total of 230 HBPC patients (mean age in years = 72.1, SD = 11.6) within the U.S. national VHA health care system.

Six-session, individual Problem-Solving Training (PST-HBPC).

Licensed psychologists and social workers (n = 115) completed training and administered the treatment with HBPC Veterans between 2014 and 2017.

From baseline to post-intervention, Veterans completing five or more PST-HBPC sessions (n = 199) reported significant reductions in depressive symptoms on the Patient Health Questionnaire 9-item (PHQ-9), in difficulty functioning due to depressive symptoms (PHQ-9 item 10), and in thoughts of death (PHQ-9 item 9). They also reported more effective problem-solving on the Social Problem-Solving Inventory - Revised: Short form (total score and subscales), and improved quality of life across life domains on the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) scale. Both clinicians and Veterans also reported satisfaction with the program.

Preliminary findings support the continued dissemination and implementation of this brief PST intervention for HBPC Veterans, and its potential for use with non-VA home care populations with complex comorbidities.