Impact of rurality and the area deprivation index on outcomes of collaborative care for depression

Purpose

The Collaborative care model (CoCM) is the leading model for integrating behavioral health into primary care for patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). However, CoCM requires engagement and ongoing participation. We aimed to assess whether two area-based measures, the area-deprivation index (ADI) and rurality, were associated with enrollment, participation, and outcomes with CoCM.

Methods

This was an observational analysis of Mayo Clinic patients eligible for CoCM: adults aged ≥18 years, empaneled in primary care, and with a PHQ-9 of ≥10. We operationalized ADI as quintiles with Q1 being least deprived and Q5 being most deprived and rurality using RUCA codes with two categories: urban and rural. We evaluated enrollment in CoCM, drop out defined by leaving the program early, the count and type of contacts with the care coordinator, and clinical improvement measured using the PHQ-9.

Findings

We identified 54,030 individuals with 16,532 (30.6%) residing in rural areas and 11,122 (20.6%) residing in the most deprived ADI quintile (Q5). Living in a rural area was associated with lower enrollment in CoCM (–2.3 percentage points [95% confidence interval (CI): –2.5, 2.2]), longer length in CoCM (18.6 days [95% CI: 5.7, 31.5]), more contacts with the care coordinator (1.1 contacts [95% CI: 0.2, 2.0]), and worse response and remission. In contrast, ADI Q5 was only associated with worse response and remission.

Conclusions

Rurality was associated with lower enrollment, greater engagement, and worse clinical outcomes. More work may be needed to address enrollment barriers for individuals living in rural areas to improve clinical outcomes.