A collaborative care intervention team of depression care managers can lead to significant improvements in depression symptoms in teenagers according to a study by The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
With up to 20% of adolescents experiencing an episode of major depression by age 18, treatment is important to help reduce symptoms in teenagers. 100 teens that screened positive for depression from Washington State primary care practices received collaborative care or usual care for 12 months.
The study found that after 12 months the teenagers who received collaborative care showed significant improvement compared to those who received usual care. The study’s findings are important since JAMA estimates that few teenagers with depressive symptoms receive any evidence-based treatment.