As depression is reduced, patients are statistically more likely to drop out of a behavioral health treatment program as compared with patients with greater depression severity. The study can have implications on how behavioral healthcare treatment is delivered. LOS ANGELES , Aug.
14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- A newly released study from Science Direct's Psychiatry Research Communications journal conducted as part of a research support agreement between Brigham and Women's Hospital and Discovery Behavioral Health examines treatment dropout in behavioral health treatment. Understanding the relationship between depression severity, patient recovery, and treatment continuity may help impact and optimize the delivery of future behavioral health services. The study measured the association between treatment dropout and depression severity, as measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), and the association between treatment dropout and baseline recovery, as measured by the Recovery Assessment Scale (RAS).
The sample of 14,689 patients were treated at Discovery treatment centers in multiple states and included patients from eating disorder, mental health and substance use programs discharged between 2021 and 2022. "These findings lay the foundation for our future work on predictive models and a comprehensive clinical decision support system that will allow us to provide personalized and dynamic treatment regimens to our patients" said Dr. Rachel Wood , VP, Learning Health Syste.