A tech-enabled perinatal collaborative care model integrated into obstetrics and gynecology practice drove high patient engagement and produced symptom remission within roughly three months, according to Roshni Koli, MD, discussing findings from a retrospective cohort study published in the Maternal and Child Health Journal.
The study reviewed records from 185 patients enrolled in a pilot perinatal collaborative care model delivered by FamilyWell Health in partnership with a large ob-gyn practice in Massachusetts.
Patients who screened positive for depression were referred for telehealth sessions with a certified perinatal behavioral health coach or licensed therapist, with monthly symptom monitoring, as part of a collaborative care model.
Roshni Koli, MD, child, adolescent, and adult psychiatrist, Chief Medical Officer, Meadows Institute, and study author, attributed the program’s engagement to embedding mental health care within a trusted setting.
They are decreasing the barriers to accessing mental health care by placing a team of behavioral health clinicians or professionals that can support the ob-gyn, Koli said.
Koli noted that uncertainty about what mental health treatment entails often deters patients, making delivery through a familiar provider especially valuable.
Sometimes mental health care can feel very scary and overwhelming, she said, and patients may not know what that means.
The clinical results were meaningful, with sustained reductions in symptoms across the study.
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A significant number of individuals, 30% of patients, experienced anxiety symptom remission in an average of about three months, and 31% experienced depression symptom remission in a mean time of about three and a half months, Koli said.
Roshni Koli emphasized the efficiency of the intervention.
They experienced symptom reduction from depression or anxiety not only in a pretty quick time period of about three and a half months, it only took about eight or nine sessions, and that really shows us that even these brief interventions can be incredibly effective in reducing depressive and anxiety symptoms.
According to the study abstract, PHQ-9 and GAD-7 scores each decreased by 1.3 points per month.
The study’s findings can also inform the development of similar collaborative care models, highlighting the importance of integrating mental health care into existing healthcare settings.
As the study’s results demonstrate, brief interventions can be effective in reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety, which can have a significant impact on women’s health and well-being during the perinatal period.
The full study was published in the Maternal and Child Health Journal.
