Making an IMPACT on late-life depression. Partnering with primary care providers can double the effect of treatment

Few depressed older adults seek help from psychiatrists. Those who receive mental health treatment most likely do so in pri- mary care settings. Yet primary care physicians (PCPs) often are ill-equipped to effectively treat depression while managing older patients’ numerous acute and chronic medical conditions. If depressed older patients won’t go to a psychiatrist, why not bring the psychiatrist to the patients? This article describes a clinically tested approach called project IMPACT that links psy- chiatrists to primary care teams and dramatically improves depression treatment in older adults