Improving Person-Centered Depression Screening and Care in an Urban Faith-Based Community

Background: Depression is a common mental illness that increases the risk of suicide, substance abuse, and chronic pain. Nationally, 21 million adults have had one untreated depressive episode, 1.4 million people have had suicide attempts, and 1 death occurs every 10 minutes. Depression has an annual economic burden of $326 billion for the American economy. Objectives: This quality improvement project aims to review the existing literature on depression, audit local businesses, survey clients, and team members to identify a gap in practice and then collect and analyze data to draw conclusions and make recommendations based on the findings. Methods: This initiative used four Plan-Do-Study-Act rapid quality improvement cycles. Data were collected and analyzed, and the results were used to make iterative changes. Results: Depression screening improved by 90%, and 317 clients were screened over 8 weeks. Twenty-eight percent of those screened had depression and were engaged in managing their symptoms. Both screening and care improved, and the aim of 89% was met. Conclusions: This initiative bridged a gap in depression screening and care. It also demonstrated a positive outcome, had the potential for sustainability, and spread to other faith communities. Implications for Nursing: A system should be put in place for depression screening, care, and referrals.