As youth in the United States are experiencing mental health concerns at an unprecedented level, Child Psychiatry Access Programs (CPAPs) like MC3 offer an innovative approach to closing the gap between the need for care and an insufficient mental health care workforce.

To examine whether CPAPs are associated with greater access to treatment for adolescents with moderate to severe depression symptoms, MC3 conducted a chart review of primary care visits between 2017 and 2021 of adolescent patients with first-time positive scores on the Patient Health Questionnaire-9.  The results of this Chart Review Study are highlighted in a recent article, “Psychiatry consultation in primary care: Examining treatment access for adolescent depression,” published in the Journal of Adolescent Health. 

The study authors ultimately found that for patients whose primary care providers consulted with MC3, there was increased utilization of evidence-based depression treatments, including medication, therapy, and follow-up care. Therefore, greater adoption of CPAP models may increase the capacity of primary care providers to address the mental health needs of children and adolescents.

Laura Hurst, M.S.W., MC3 Research Associate, was lead author on the publication, with support from Elizabeth Tengelitsch, Ph.D., MC3 Lead Analyst, Teryn Bruni, Ph.D., Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics in the U-M Department of Psychology, Joyce Lee, M.D., M.P.H., Professor of Communicable Diseases and Nutritional Sciences in the U-M Department of Pediatrics, Sheila Marcus, M.D., MC3 Pediatric Medical Director and Clinical Professor in the U-M Department of Psychiatry, and Joanna Quigley, M.D., FAAP, MC3 Consulting Psychiatrist and Clinical Associate Professor in the U-M Departments of Psychiatry and Pediatrics. 

Read the full article outlining the chart review findings below.