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IMPACT

An Evidence-Based Practice

Description

The Improving Mood – Providing Accesses to Collaborative Treatment (IMPACT) program is a model for late life depression treatment. Few adults receive the treatment that they need for depression in their primary care setting. The cornerstone of the IMPACT intervention is connecting patients to collaborative care including their primary care physician, a care manager, and a psychiatrist. The depression care manager may be a nurse, social worker, or psychologist who educates the patient about depression, supports antidepressant therapy, coaches behavioral therapy, offers a brief course of counseling, monitors symptoms, and creates a relapse prevention plan with the patient. Treatment is tiered and aims for a 50% reduction in symptoms within 10-12 weeks, if this goal is not met the plan is changed (i.e. change in medication, change in dosage, addition of psychotherapy, or other treatments).

Goal / Mission

The goal of IMPACT is to improve depression treatment by providing collaborative care to older adults.

Results / Accomplishments

The IMPACT model doubles the effectiveness of depression treatment for older adults in primary care settings. After 12 months, significantly more intervention patients than usual care patients had a 50% or greater reduction in depressive symptoms from baseline (45% vs 19%, P < 0.001). Intervention patients also had significantly greater rates of depression treatment, more satisfaction with their care, lower depression severity, less functional impairment, and greater quality of life.

About this Promising Practice

Organization(s)
University of Washington Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences
Primary Contact
AIMS Center
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
University of Washington
2815 Eastlake Ave E, Suite 200B, Box 358017
Seattle, WA 98102
uwaims@uw.edu
http://impact-uw.org/
Topics
Health / Mental Health & Mental Disorders
Health / Older Adults
Health / Health Care Access & Quality
Organization(s)
University of Washington Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences
Source
Journal of the American Medical Association
Date of publication
Dec 2002
Date of implementation
Jul 1999
Location
USA
For more details
Target Audience
Adults, Older Adults