In plain words
Collaborative care is a model that brings mental health support into the places mothers already visit. A primary care or obstetric practice works with a care manager and a mental health specialist, who check in on symptoms and adjust care over time. It is one way to reach a mother who might not otherwise see a therapist. Care is coordinated across the team, so the provider and the specialist share information. Some practices have this model, and some do not. Perinatal psychiatry access lines and referral to perinatal therapists are other ways to reach help. Your provider can tell you what is available near you.
The deeper version
Collaborative care, as developed by Katon and colleagues, combines a care manager, measurement-based treatment, and psychiatric consultation to deliver evidence-based depression treatment in primary care. Its application to has been studied in obstetric and pediatric settings, with trials reporting improved depression outcomes and treatment engagement compared with usual care. Delivery requires case management capacity, psychiatric consultation, and data systems, which are unevenly available. The model is distinct from integrated behavioral health staffing in which therapists are employed in clinic. Evidence on cost-effectiveness varies by setting.
Where it comes up
- Finding a perinatal therapistPregnancy: Mind and Life
- Depression during pregnancyPregnancy: Mind and Life
- Postpartum depressionPostpartum: Mind
What mothers here say about collaborative care
No one has posted under this term yet.
Sources
- Katon W et al. — Collaborative care for depression in primary care: randomized trial. JAMA 2010
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists — Clinical Practice Guideline on perinatal depression, 2023