[A randomized trial of pharmacotherapy with telephone monitoring to improve treatment of depression in primary care in Santiago, Chile]

Abstract

Background: Depression is a public health problem, due to its high prevalence and its associated disability.

Aim: 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.

Material and 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.