Integrating Cancer Screening and Mental Health Services in Primary Care: Protocol and Baseline Results of a...

Low-income and minority women are significantly more likely to be diagnosed with preventable, late-stage cancers and suffer from depression than the general population. Intervention studies aiming to reduce depression to increase cancer screening among underserved minority women are sparse.

This patient-centered outcomes trial compared Collaborative Care Intervention plus Cancer Prevention Care Management (CCI+PCM) versus PCM alone. Participants from six Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) were interviewed at baseline, 6-and 12-month follow-up to monitor adherence to screening guidelines, depressive symptoms, quality of life, barriers to screening, and other psychosocial and health-related variables.

Participants included 757 English-or Spanish-speaking women (ages 50-64) who screened positive for depression on the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ)-9 and were not up-to-date for breast, cervical, and/or colorectal cancer screening.

Study methodology and baseline participant characteristics are reported to contribute to the literature on evidence-based interventions for cancer screening among underserved, depressed women.