false
OasisLMS
zh-CN,en,fr,de,ja,es
Catalog
35th AM (2025) - Poster Session
Can Universal Screening for Depression Promote Tob ...
Can Universal Screening for Depression Promote Tobacco and Substance Use Treatment
Back to course
Pdf Summary
This retrospective study analyzed 45,555 adult patients at eight Family Health Centers of San Diego (FHCSD) clinics from July 2022 to February 2023, investigating whether positive depression screening via PHQ-2 (score ≥3) correlates with increased pharmacotherapy for substance use disorders (SUD) and mental health (MH) conditions. The PHQ-2 was used as a universal depression screen, with prescribed medications categorized into MH meds (for anxiety, depression, psychosis), SUD meds (AUD/OUD and other), or none. Mixed-effects multinomial logistic regression was applied to evaluate the association between PHQ-2 positivity and odds of receiving SUD or MH treatment among patients with SUD histories.<br /><br />Key findings showed PHQ-2 positivity was more prevalent in adults aged 18–54, Black and Other Hispanic individuals, and those with tobacco use or prior SUD diagnoses. Conversely, Arabic- and Vietnamese-preferring patients had significantly lower odds of positive screening, suggesting potential cultural and language barriers. Adjusted analyses indicated tobacco users had 1.7 times higher odds of PHQ-2 positivity, and non-tobacco users with SUD had 1.8-1.9 times higher odds. Importantly, positive PHQ-2 screening was linked to greater likelihood of MH and SUD medication prescriptions, although only 6% of PHQ-2 positive patients received SUD pharmacotherapy. Alcohol Use Disorder patients had higher odds of receiving SUD meds, whereas Opioid Use Disorder patients were more likely to receive MH meds.<br /><br />The study concluded that PHQ-2 screening may identify unmet treatment needs, especially related to tobacco use, but SUD treatment rates remain low. It recommended universal screening implementation, revisiting billing policies to support integrated care, and interdisciplinary models like SBIRT with physician-pharmacist partnerships to improve outcomes. The authors highlighted the necessity to address cultural and linguistic disparities, such as the lack of Arabic screening tools, to advance equity. Limitations include reliance on EHR prescribing data as a proxy for treatment and findings from a single FQHC system that may not generalize broadly. Future research should optimize screening tools to reduce SUD treatment disparities in low-income primary care populations.
Keywords
PHQ-2 depression screening
substance use disorder pharmacotherapy
mental health medication
Family Health Centers of San Diego
tobacco use and depression
cultural and linguistic disparities
alcohol use disorder treatment
opioid use disorder medication
integrated care models
SBIRT physician-pharmacist partnership
×