Improving Treatment of Depression in Primary Care

Seong-Yi Baik, R.N., Ph.D. - Principal Investigator

The long-term goal of Dr. Baik’s research focuses on identifying, implementing, and disseminating theory-based quality improvement interventions for depression care in primary care and community settings.  Beginning with her doctoral dissertation, with a major in Community Mental Health (Nursing) and a minor in Population Health (Preventive Medicine), she has been developing a line of research to generate evidence/theories by which to implement and disseminate proven effective and sustainable practices and health policies relating to the treatment of mood disorders.

Findings from pilot studies have led to her current project, which is funded by the National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Mental Health (NIH/NIMH, R34 MH071719).  She is developing a grounded theory about the recognition and management of depression in primary care settings from the perspectives of the treatment providers - a "bottom-up" approach.  This research is highly interdisciplinary in nature and includes co-investigators and collaborators from Nursing, Family Medicine, Anthropology, Psychology, Business, and Psychiatry. Dr. Baik and her associates are planning additional studies including a randomized, controlled trial to test their theory derived depression care intervention.