Investigation of the Results of Collaborative Care in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Anxiety and Depressive Disorders in Community Mental Health Center (CMHC), Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences

Background: Community Mental Health centers (CMHCs) have been successful in the on-time diagnosis and treatment of psychiatric disorders worldwide. Objectives: The study aimed to evaluate the efficiency of the Community Mental Health Center (CMHC) affiliated with Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences in the on-time diagnosis and treatment of psychiatric patients who go to the general physicians. Evidence suggests that such a diagnosis and treatment can help reduce the burden of disease on society. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from January 2014 to September 2016. Fourteen general physicians and case managers in the catchment area of CMHC cooperated with the study. General physicians began to diagnose and treat psychiatric disorders based on therapeutic guides. The descriptive statistics were used for data analysis. Results: One thousand and four hundred and eighty seven patients were diagnosed by the general practitioners, 730 (49.09%) of whom suffered from depression, and 544 (36.58%) suffered from anxiety. As the physicians reported, 15/74% of the total number of visits was related to psychiatric disorders. Based on the telephone follow-ups, 94/34% of the patients reported improvement. Untreated patients were followed up or taken to a psychiatrist. Conclusions: This study demonstrates the importance of on-time diagnosis of psychiatric patients and the provision of specialized services that can decrease the load of prevalent psychiatric disorders if continued.