A Scoping Review of Integrated Care Models for Managing Depression in Older Adults

Background: Depression is a major health issue among older adults and is frequently accompanied by chronic physical conditions. Conventional care of depression in older adults is delivered through primary care settings and often fails to address the complex interactions between mental health, physical illness, and social determinants of health in this population. Integrated care models, characterized by coordinated, multidisciplinary, and patient-centered approaches, have emerged as a promising strategy for improving depression outcomes in late life. Objective: This scoping review aimed to characterize integrated care models for managing depression in older adults. The review examined the structure and implementation of these models and evaluated depression-related outcomes. Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted in PubMed and Google Scholar. Studies published in English between 2006 and February 2026 were considered. Eligible studies included randomized controlled trials (RCTs), cluster RCTs, and quasi-RCTs that evaluated integrated care interventions targeting depression in adults aged 65 years or older or mixed adult populations that included older adults. One reviewer conducted the search and initial screening, and four additional reviewers evaluated the eligibility of full-text reports and extracted data using a structured template. Results were synthesized descriptively. Results: Seventeen studies met the inclusion criteria. Integrated care interventions were implemented across primary care clinics, community health centers, and home healthcare programs in several countries. Participants commonly had depression alongside chronic medical conditions, including diabetes, hypertension, heart failure, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Integrated care models varied in staffing, therapeutic components, specialist involvement, delivery intensity, and comparator conditions. Most interventions incorporated multidisciplinary care teams; structured symptom monitoring; care coordination; behavioral or psychological interventions; and, in some studies, chronic disease management, social support, or technology-supported follow-up. Thirteen studies reported a favorable depression-related finding at one or more assessment points; however, benefits were not always sustained, and some studies reported null- or comparator-favoring findings. Conclusions: Integrated care for depression in older adults encompasses heterogeneous models implemented across diverse healthcare contexts. Common themes included multidisciplinary collaboration, coordinated follow-up, structured psychological or behavioral treatment, symptom monitoring, and integration of mental and physical health management. Favorable outcomes were reported in most studies, but findings varied by population, setting, comparator, intervention intensity, and follow-up duration. These findings may inform future program design, although the effectiveness of the integrated care models and the independent contribution of individual components remain uncertain.