Effectiveness of Cultural Sensitive Collaborative Treatment of Depressed Chinese

Effectiveness of Cultural Sensitive Collaborative Treatment of Depressed Chinese in Primary Care

This study is a randomized controlled trial to test whether Culturally Sensitive Collaborative Treatment (CSCT) would improve the outcome of depressed patients visiting non-psychiatric settings in Taiwan.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients who attend non-psychiatric clinics at the above site.
• Patients with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), defined as a positive screen using the PHQ-9, confirmed with the SCAN interview.
• Men or women aged 18 or older.
• Able to participate in a clinical diagnostic interview in either Mandarin or Fukienese dialects.
• Individuals who are willing to be followed up concerning their depression symptoms.
• Individuals who have completed a written consent form.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Women who are pregnant, breast-feeding, or planning pregnancy within the next year.
• Patients with serious suicidal risk.
• Patients with unstable medical illnesses.
• Clinical or laboratory evidence of hypothyroidism.
• Patients with comorbid severe mental disorders
• Patients with history of treatment by a psychiatrist in the past 4 months.