Physical and mental health outcomes of integrated care: Systematic review of study.

Abstract

Background: Integrated primary care (IPC) is a proposed alternative concept to health care aimed at increasing access to care and promoting holistic health by combining treatment for biological, psychological, and social domains. To solidify the importance of IPC compared to traditional methods of health care delivery, outcome measurement is essential to bolster the claim that such a shift in patient care can improve holistic health. This systematic review sought to understand the literature accounting for both physical and mental health outcomes in IPC settings.

Method: Systematic searches within PsycINFO, Embase, and PubMed databases identified 2,729 studies that fit our predetermined criteria. Studies were included if they were within a setting that met our definition of IPC and tracked for both physical and mental health indicators.

Results: In total, 42 screened studies fit our criteria with approximately 28 distinct IPC models represented, each employing different team members to deliver interventions. Fifteen studies found improvements in both physical and mental health outcomes, while others only noted improvement in physical (n = 4) or mental health outcomes (n = 15) alone. Of the 15 studies that found improvement in both outcomes, depression and diabetes were the two that improved together most frequently.

Conclusions: This review found evidence of IPC settings improving both biological and psychological outcomes, with a considerable number demonstrating depressive symptom reduction in comparison to any other physical or mental health condition. Continuing efforts are still needed to measure concurrent physical and mental health conditions to make progress toward improved holistic health care systems. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).