Mental Health Treatment Utilization Among Patients Receiving Collaborative Care for Co-occurring Disorders

Area of Science:

• Addiction Medicine
• Psychiatry
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Opioid use disorder (OUD) frequently co-occurs with depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
• Collaborative care (CC) models aim to integrate mental health services into primary care settings.
• Effectiveness of CC for OUD patients with co-occurring mental health conditions requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine patient and health system characteristics associated with mental health treatment receipt in CC for OUD.
• To identify factors influencing psychiatric medication and counseling uptake.
• To understand disparities in treatment access within CC.

Main Methods:

• Secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial intervention arm (N=400) in low-resourced clinics.
• Data collected from electronic health records and caseload tracking tools over a 6-month intervention period.
• Statistical analyses included t tests, chi-square tests, and adjusted logistic regression to identify predictors of treatment receipt.

Main Results:

• 51% of patients received psychiatric medication, and 44% received counseling.
• Stimulant co-use and lower education were associated with reduced likelihood of receiving either treatment.
• Male sex, health system factors, non-Hispanic ethnicity, and symptom severity influenced counseling receipt.

Conclusions:

• Significant unmet mental health treatment needs persist within CC for OUD patients, especially those co-using stimulants.
• Additional support strategies are crucial to enhance treatment engagement for individuals with co-occurring disorders.
• Future research should focus on optimizing CC interventions for diverse patient populations.