Greg Simon, MD, MPH, is a psychiatrist and senior investigator well-known for his extensive research on practical approaches to improving mental health care. He seeks to develop and evaluate effective real-world strategies that support better mental health and wellness. Current areas of emphasis include identifying and assessing suicide risk, improving care for treatment-resistant depression, and early intervention for mental health conditions in children and youth.
Dr. Simon leads the Mental Health Research Network (MHRN), a consortium of research centers affiliated with 13 large health systems across the United States, including Kaiser Permanente Washington. This network, funded through a cooperative agreement with the National Institute of Mental Health, aims to improve the efficiency, relevance, and impact of mental health clinical and health services research. Now in its second five-year funding cycle, the MHRN is exploring a broad range of issues—including suicide prevention, improving heart health in people with serious mental illness, using electronic medical records to improve follow-up care for depression, and understanding the causes of racial and ethnic disparities in mental health care.
Dr. Simon and his MHRN colleagues are conducting several large studies across MHRN health systems, including:
Dr. Simon is an editor for the Cochrane Collaboration’s depression and anxiety review group, sits on the editorial board for General Hospital Psychiatry, and serves on the advisory board for the National Institutes of Health’s All of Us Program (formerly Precision Medicine Initiative). Earlier, he served on the editorial boards of Psychiatric Services and Psychological Medicine and chaired the scientific advisory board for the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance. Dr. Simon has practiced adult psychiatry in Kaiser Permanente Washington's Mental Health and Wellness Service since 1990 and is a research professor in psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of Washington.
Depression; bipolar disorder; suicide prevention; self-management; treatment adherence
Comorbidity of mental health conditions with obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and substance use disorders.
Simon GE, Barber C, Birnbaum HG, Frank RG, Greenberg PE, Rose RM, Wang PS, Kessler RC. Depression and work productivity: the comparative costs of treatment versus nontreatment. J Occup Environ Med. 2001;43(1):2-9. PubMed
Simon GE. The stability of somatization syndromes over time. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2001;58(1):94. PubMed
Whooley MA, Simon GE. Managing depression in medical outpatients. N Engl J Med. 2000;343(26):1942-50. PubMed
Walker E, Katon W, Russo J, Von Korff M, Lin E, Simon G, Unutzer J, Bush T, Ludman E. Predictors of outcome in a primary care depression trial. J Gen Intern Med. 2000;15(12):859-67. PubMed
Lin EH, VonKorff M, Russo J, Katon W, Simon GE, Unutzer J, Bush T, Walker E, Ludman E. Can depression treatment in primary care reduce disability? A stepped care approach. Arch Fam Med. 2000;9(10):1052-8. PubMed
Simon GE, Unutzer J, Young BE, Pincus HA. Large medical databases, population-based research, and patient confidentiality. Am J Psychiatry. 2000;157(11):1731-7. PubMed
Katzelnick D, Simon G, Pearson S, Manning W, Kobak K. Depression management programs. Arch Fam Med. 2000;9(8):689-70. PubMed
Unutzer J, Simon G, Belin TR, Datt M, Katon W, Patrick D. Care for depression in HMO patients aged 65 and older. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2000;48(8):871-8. PubMed
Simon GE, Ludman E. Lessons from recent research on depression in primary care. Epidemiol Psichiatr Soc. 2000;9(3):145-51. PubMed
Tutty S, Simon G, Ludman E. Telephone counseling as an adjunct to antidepressant treatment in the primary care system: a pilot study. Eff Clin Pract. 2000;3(4):170-8. PubMed
KPWHRI researchers are contributing to better mental health care for people nationwide.
Models that are easier to explain, use could have better uptake in health care settings.
Findings provide roadmap for addressing barriers and improving suicide prevention.
Kaiser Permanente physician-scientist will receive American Foundation for Suicide Prevention's Lifesavers Research Award.
STAT News, May 2, 2023