Effectiveness of integrated care for older adults with depression and hypertension in rural China: A cluster randomized controlled trial

Background : Effectiveness of integrated care management for common, comorbid physical and mental disorders has been insufficiently examined in low- and middle-income countries. We tested hypotheses that older adults treated in rural Chinese primary care clinics with integrated care management of comorbid depression and HTN would show greater improvements in depression symptom severity and hypertension (HTN) control than those who received usual care. Methods and findings : The study was a 12-month cluster randomized controlled trial conducted from 2014 through 2017, with analyses conducted in 2020-2021. Subjects were rural village clinics of randomly selected towns in Zhejiang Province, China. Ten towns with a total of 218 rural village primary care clinics were randomized, five towns each, to deliver the Chinese Older Adult Collaborations in Health (COACH) intervention or enhanced care-as-usual (eCAU). The COACH intervention consisted of algorithm-driven treatment of depression and HTN by village primary care doctors supported by village lay workers with consultation from centrally-located psychiatrists. Subjects included clinic patients aged >=60 years with a diagnosis of HTN and clinically significant depressive symptoms (PHQ-9 score >=10). Of 2899 eligible subjects, 2365 (82%) agreed to participate and were followed for 12 months. Observers were blinded to study hypotheses but not to group assignment. Primary outcomes specified a priori were change in depression symptom severity and proportion with controlled HTN. Compared with 1133 subjects who received eCAU, 1232 COACH subjects showed greater reduction in depressive symptoms (Cohens d [{+/-}SD] = -0.21 [-0.25, -0.17]) and greater likelihood of achieving HTN control (OR [95% CI] = 18.24 [8.40, 39.63]). Exploratory post hoc analyses showed that COACH subjects who accepted an antidepressant had greater symptom reduction than either those who declined the medication or received eCAU. HTN control improved in COACH subjects regardless of antidepressant use. Conclusions : The COACH model appears effective in managing comorbid depression and HTN in older adult residents of rural Chinese villages. Integrated care management of comorbid depression and common medical illness may be a useful approach in other low resourced settings in which specialty geriatric mental health care is lacking.