Medline ® Abstracts for References 1-3

BACKGROUND: Primary care physicians, rather than psychiatrists, prescribe a majority of psychotropic medications in the United States. However, past research has shown significant differences in psychopharmacologic treatment practices of these 2 groups of physicians. The objective of this study was to compare patient characteristics and treatment patterns of adults in the United States treated with antidepressant medications by psychiatrists and other medical providers.

METHOD: Data from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication (February 2001-April 2003) were used to compare characteristics of adults (aged>/= 18 years) prescribed antidepressants by psychiatrists (N = 255) or other medical providers (N = 673). The treatment groups were also compared with respect to presenting problem, antidepressant type and dose, and continuity of treatment.

RESULTS: Approximately 1 in 10 adults (10.5%) were treated with an antidepressant in the past year, usually by a general medical provider (73.6%).Compared with those treated by psychiatrists, adults treated by general medical providers were significantly more likely to be at least 65 years of age and to reside in a nonurban area. By contrast, those treated by psychiatrists were significantly more likely to be male, to report significant distress, to present with serious mood or anxiety symptoms, and to meet DSM-IV criteria for mood and anxiety disorders. Individuals treated by psychiatrists typically received higher doses of medications, were less likely to stop the medication before 30 days, and were more likely to continue 90 days or longer.

CONCLUSIONS: Most adults treated with anti-depressants receive the medication from general medical providers. In comparison with adults treated by psychiatrists, those treated by general medical providers are less likely to meet the criteria for mood or anxiety disorders or to continue medication beyond the first month. Quality improvement initiatives in general medical settings should focus on better targeting and continuity of antidepressant medications.

CONTEXT: The rate of outpatient treatment of depression increased markedly in the United States between 1987 and 1997; it is not known whether this trend has continued.

OBJECTIVE: To assess national trends in the outpatient treatment of depression between 1998 and 2007.

DESIGN AND SETTING: Analysis of service utilization data from 2 nationally representative surveys of the US household population, the 1998 (n = 22 953) and 2007 (n = 29 370) Medical Expenditure Panel Surveys.

PARTICIPANTS: Nationally representative sample of the US household population.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The rate of depression treatment and, among patients who received treatment, the rate of antidepressant medication use, psychotherapy, number of outpatient treatment visits, and expenditures.

RESULTS: The rate of outpatient treatment for depression increased from 2.37 per 100 persons in 1998 to 2.88 per 100 persons in 2007 (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 1.18; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03-1.35). The percentage of treated patients who used antidepressants was little changed from 73.8% (1998) to 75.3% (2007) (AOR, 1.14; 95% CI, 0.85-1.51), but the percentage of those receiving psychotherapy declined from 53.6% (1998) to 43.1% (2007) (AOR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.53-0.95). National expenditures for the outpatient treatment of depression increased from $10.05 billion to $12.45 billion (z = 1.73, P = .08). This was primarily driven by an increase in medication expenditures from $4.59 billion (1998) to $6.60 billion (2007) (z = 2.88, P = .004), which in turn was related to an increase in Medicare expenditures for depression treatment from $0.52 billion (1998) to $2.25 billion (2007) (z = 5.62, P<.001).

CONCLUSIONS: Rapid increases in depression treatment from 1987 to 1997 were followed by more modest increases during the following decade. Although there was little change in the proportion of patients receiving antidepressants, treatment with psychotherapy has declined.

BACKGROUND: Older patients mostly receive depression care from primary care physicians, but it is not known whether depression treatment is primarily received from family/general practice physicians or internal medicine physicians and whether the type of depression treatment offered varies between these types of primary care physicians.

OBJECTIVE: To assess what proportion of visits for depression are to family/general practice physicians or to internal medicine physicians and whether the type of depression treatment offered varies by primary care physician specialty.

DESIGN: Data from the 2000 and 2001 National Ambulatory Medical Care Surveys, a nationally representative survey of visits to office-based practices using clustered sampling, were used.

PARTICIPANTS: Office-based physician practices in the United States.

RESULTS: There were an estimated 9.8 million visits made to office-based providers by older patients for depression in 2001 to 2002, of which 64% were to primary care physicians. Visits to primary care providers were evenly split between Internists and family/general practice physicians. There was no significant difference in the rate of antidepressant prescribing between visits to Internists versus family/general practice (55.9% vs 48.0%; P = .42). Mental health counseling or psychotherapy was offered more often during visits to family/general practice physicians than to Internists (39.4% vs 14.0%; P = .07).

CONCLUSIONS: Visits for depression by elderly patients continue to take place in primary care settings to both family/general practice physicians and Internists. Interventions aimed at improving depression care in primary care should focus on both types of primary care physicians and emphasize improving rates of diagnosis and referral for counseling or psychotherapy as a viable treatment option.