Telephone-delivered collaborative care for post-CABG depression is more effective than usual care for improving mental-health-related quality of life

Commentary on: 1. Rollman BL, 2. Belnap BH, 3. LeMenager MS, 4. et al . Telephone-delivered collaborative care for treating post-CABG depression: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA 2009;302:2095–103. [OpenUrl][1][CrossRef][2][PubMed][3] Rollman and colleagues' randomised control trial (RCT) concerns treatment of depression after coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. Increased mortality risk attributable to depression after CABG1 and myocardial infarction2 is a pressing reason to identify effective depression treatment in these patients. The RCT involved an 8-month, bi-weekly nurse-led, telephone-delivered intervention for depression after ‘on pump’ or ‘off pump’ surgery across seven hospitals in Pennsylvania, USA. Patients were randomised to intervention (n=150) or usual care (n=152), and 151 non-depressed individuals served as a control group. The intervention, tailored to patient preference, consisted of psychoeducation, antidepressant pharmacotherapy, referral to a community mental health specialist (MHS), behavioural activation and pleasant activity scheduling, avoidance of tobacco, alcohol and unhealthy foods, a depression handbook and ‘watchful waiting’. Primary … [1]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DJAMA%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1001%252Fjama.2009.1670%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F19918088%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [2]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=10.1001/jama.2009.1670&link_type=DOI [3]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=19918088&link_type=MED&atom=%2Febmed%2F15%2F2%2F57.atom