The association between chronic pain and prescription drug abuse in Veterans.

Objective: We sought to investigate the association between chronic pain and self-reported prescription drug abuse in a large cohort of patients referred from primary care for a behavioral health assessment.

Design: We performed a cross-sectional analysis of responses to a telephone assessment administered to patients referred for a behavioral health evaluation between April 25, 2005 and October 31, 2007. We conducted descriptive statistics and investigated multivariable associations.

A randomized controlled trial of a close monitoring program for minor depression and distress.

Background: Minor depression is almost twice as common in primary care (PC) as major depression. Despite the high prevalence, few evidence-based algorithms exist for managing patients with minor depression or patients presenting solely with distress.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to test the effectiveness of a telephone-based close monitoring program to manage PC patients with minor depression or distress.