Barry D. Weiss|Laurie Francis|Janet H. Senf|Kim Heist|Rie Hargraves
Literacy education as treatment for depression in patients with limited literacy and depression
University of Arizona|Community Partners|HealthPartners|University of Arizona|HealthPartners|Community Partners|HealthPartners
background individuals limited literacy depression share many characteristics including low selfesteem feelings worthlessness shame objective determine whether literacy education provided along standard depression treatment adults depression limited literacy would result greater improvement depression would standard depression treatment alone design randomized clinical trial patients assigned either intervention group received standard depression treatment plus literacy education control group received standard depression treatment participants seventy adult patients community health center tested positive depression using 9question patient health questionnaire phq9 limited literacy based rapid estimate adult literacy medicine realm measurements depression severity assessed phq9 scores baseline 3 followup evaluations took place 1 year study enrollment changes phq9 scores baseline followup evaluations compared intervention control groups results median phq9 scores similar intervention control groups baseline 125 14 respectively ninequestion patient health questionnaire scores improved groups improvement significantly larger intervention group final followup phq9 scores declined 6 intervention group 10 control group conclusions may benefit assessing literacy skills patients depressed recommending patients depression limited literacy consider enrolling adult education classes adjuvant treatment depression