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Can Hospital-Community Integration Facilitate Timely Access to Mental Health Service and Improve Mental Health
Dara Kiu Yi Leung1, Stephanie Ming Yin Wong2, Angie Kwan Yu Shum2
1Department of Social Work (DKYL), The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
Objectives:
To examine waiting time and mental health outcomes following a hospital-community service-bridging mechanism among older adults with mild-to-moderately-severe depressive symptoms.
Methods:
This retrospective cohort study (November 2023-June 2025) evaluated a mechanism linking public hospitals with JoyAge, a community-based stepped-care program for late-life depression. Healthcare professionals referred older adults in outpatient care with suspected depressive symptoms to JoyAge, where social workers confirmed eligibility. Primary outcomes included referral-to-assessment waiting time and depressive symptoms. Secondary outcomes included anxiety, loneliness, and health-related quality of life.
Results:
Of 239 referrals, 159 (median age 73; 75% females) enrolled in JoyAge. Median waiting time was 1 week, significantly shorter than the 40-week median for psychiatric outpatient services reported in public records (p < 0.001). Among those discharged, 93% achieved a clinically meaningful reduction in depressive symptoms, with significant improvements in secondary outcomes (ps < 0.001).
Conclusions:
The service-bridging mechanism was associated with improved access and outcomes.
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