Why the study?
Does treatment for depression improve outcomes in male veterans identified through screening in a primary care setting?
Does treatment for depression improve outcomes in male veterans identified through screening in a primary care setting?
Screening for depression in VA primary care identifies a significant number of cases, and treatment in this setting leads to statistically significant improvement.
May support depression screening and treatment in VA primary care; hypothesis-generating and should not yet change practice.
The Veterans Health Administration clinical guideline for major depressive disorder was used in screening 574 male veterans treated in primary care settings in the Department of Veterans Affairs health care system. Thirteen percent (N=73) screened positive for depression, and 33 percent of those patients showed evidence of a major depressive episode. Pre- and posttreatment assessment of a sample of 16 patients treated for depression in a primary care setting revealed statistically significant improvement with treatment.
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Ragsdale et al. (1999) studied this question.
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