Characterizing Measurement-Based Care in the Texas Youth Depression and Suicide Research Network (TX-YDSRN)

One of the main goals of TX-YDSRN is to expand the use of measurement-based care (MBC) in the state of Texas. To assess the current use of standardized measurement across the sites participating in TX-YDSRN, a dedicated committee developed a data collection tool designed to describe whether and how the patients were assessed for depression, anxiety, treatment side effects, and adherence. A subsequent chart review of clinical visits indicated that 71% of sites used standardized depression measures and 64% used anxiety measures. When it came to measures assessing medication adherence and side effects, those were limited to less than 6% for both (despite medication changing in nearly half of the participants), with the majority of the sites using clinical interviews to gauge adherence and side effects. Considering that the use of MBC has been linked to better outcomes in mental health treatment, it is crucial to continue to increase the use of standardized tools.