[A randomized trial of pharmacotherapy with telephone monitoring to improve treatment of depression in primary care in Santiago, Chile].
BACKGROUND
Depression is a public health problem, due to its high prevalence and its associated disability.


OBJECTIVE
To compare a pharmacological intervention for depression controlled by phone from a central level (TM) and the usual treatment (TH) in a randomized clinical trial.


METHODS
Three hundred and forty five women, aged 22 to 59 years were studied. They were randomly assigned to receive the usual therapy or a pharmacological intervention with periodical telephone contacts with medical collaboration personnel, to reinforce compliance with treatment and educate about the disease. Women were blindly evaluated at 3 and 6 months with the Hamilton depression rating score (HDRS) and the SF-36 to assess depressive symptoms and quality of life, respectively.


RESULTS
In both evaluations, improvement was significantly greater in the TM group than the TH group. At 3 months, improvement was higher in the TM group in the subscales of physical function, pain, general health, energy, emotional role, mental health and standardized physical and psychic scales of SF-36. At 6 months, this significant difference in favour of TM was maintained for energy, mental health and the standardized psychic scale.


CONCLUSIONS
A telephone reinforcement improves the outcomes of treatments for depression.
Fritsch
Rosemarie
R
Hospital Clínico, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
Araya
Ricardo
R
Solís
Jaime
J
Montt
Elena
E
Pilowsky
Daniel
D
Rojas
Graciela
G
D000328:Adult; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002677:Chile; D003863:Depression / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance; D011320:Primary Health Care; D011788:Quality of Life; D013689:Telephone; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000928:Antidepressive Agents