A community-academic partnership develops a more responsive model to providing depression care to disadvantaged adults in the US.

Background: Socioeconomically disadvantaged adults experience greater healthcare disparities and increased risk of depression compared to higher-income groups.

Aim: To create a depression care model for disadvantaged adults utilizing service agencies, through a community-academic partnership.

Methods: Using participatory research methods, an organizational needs assessment was performed to ascertain depression care needs, identify barriers to clients receiving treatment, and marshal resources.

Public-academic partnerships: improving depression care for disadvantaged adults by partnering with non-mental health agencies.

Reaching disadvantaged adults who need mental health care is challenging, partly because of mistrust of institutions, cultural insensitivity, and stigma. Researchers from Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic and leaders of 11 non-mental health community organizations formed a partnership to improve depression care, especially for elders and individuals from difficult-to-reach racial and ethnic minority groups. The overarching goal is to reduce disparities by providing and improving care.

Developing a community-academic partnership to improve recognition and treatment of depression in underserved African American and white elders.

Objective: Reducing mental health disparities among underserved populations, particularly African American elders, is an important public health priority. The authors describe the process and challenges of developing a community/academic research partnership to address these disparities.

Methods: The authors are using a Community-Based Participatory Research approach to gain access to underserved populations in need of depression treatment.