Philadelphia—Providing effective depression treatment for older patients with diabetes not only can help resolve their mental health issues, it actually can improve overall health status and even prevent death. That’s according to a new study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. A study team led by University of Pennsylvania researchers assessed depression-care management wherein trained depression care managers worked with physicians and older adults to offer recommendations and ensure follow-through on those suggestions. Results indicate that older patients with diabetes who received structured depression-care management were 53% less likely to die over the course of the study when compared with those receiving usual care. Study authors conclude that depression-care management also seemed to reduce the risk of death for people with other chronic conditions, excluding heart disease, but not as much as with diabetes.

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