Prevention of Suicide in Primary Care Elderly: Collaborative Trial (PROSPECT)

Introduction

Study characteristics:

• randomized controlled trial
• patient recruitment from 20 primary care practices in New York City, Philadelphia, & Pittsburgh regions, May 1999 through August 2001
• 2-stage, age-stratified (60-74, > or =75 years)
• enrollment included patients who screened positive for depression & a random sample of patients who screened negative

Intervention:

• treatment guidelines tailored for the elderly with care management compared with usual care

Outcomes:

• assessment of suicidal ideation & depression severity at baseline, 4 months, 8 months, & 12 month

Results:

• rates of suicidal ideation declined faster in intervention group compared with usual care patients
• patients in the intervention group had a more favorable course of depression
• effects on depression were not significant among patients with minor depression unless suicidal ideation was present

More general terms

• clinical trial