Mente y Cuerpo: Integrating Mental Health screening in primary care

Mente y Cuerpo (Mind and Body) is a bilingual/bicultural program that seeks to integrate mental health screening, referrals and education into primary care. The program provides case management services to Latina women 18 and older. The project has the goal of using evaluation research to change provider behavior and institutional systems so as to incorporate routine mental health screening into primary care, connect patients more effectively to needed mental health and related services and better integrate mental health concerns into the management of chronic diseases.

Latina women suffer a disproportionate burden of both depression and diabetes. Risk factors in these conditions are synergistic – and mutually contribute to poorer outcomes in both. This project seeks to improve the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases such as diabetes, asthma and cardiovascular disease by addressing depression and other mental health concerns which may contribute to disease and interfere with treatment compliance.

The project partnership consists of: Lead agency: The Boston Public Health Commission, which is the city's health department. Health Care Facilities: South End Community Health Center and Southern Jamaica Plain Health Center.

Since May 2008, case managers for this project have screened over 720 Latinas for depression, suicide risk, substance abuse, and domestic violence with in the primary care setting. Case managers provide active case management, referral to outside resources, facilitate psycho educational groups, and refer to yoga and acupuncture services provided on site. Data analysis is currently being conducted regarding the amount of clients screened with an existing chronic health condition.