Mental health is a vital part of overall health. But traditional mental health care reaches only a fraction of the millions who could benefit. So, researchers at Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute (KPWHRI) are finding practical, patient-centered ways to reach people affected by conditions such as depression, bipolar disorder, and anxiety.
“Many of the ideas that are changing American mental health care were first tested here at Kaiser Permanente Washington,” says Gregory Simon, MD, MPH, senior investigator at KPWHRI and a Kaiser Permanente Washington psychiatrist. “We’re now working to spread those innovations to large health systems across the country.”
Innovative patient-centered mental health programs developed at KPWHRI include:
“We are partnering with health care leaders at Kaiser Permanente Washington and other health systems to test innovative programs and implement treatments that work,” Dr. Simon says. “We want ‘learning health care system’ to be more than a slogan.”
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Naranjo DE, Glass JE, Williams EC. Persons with debt burden are more likely to report suicide attempt than those without: a national study of US adults. J Clin Psychiatry. 2021 Apr 6;82(3):19m13184. doi: 10.4088/JCP.19m13184. PubMed
Simon GE, Matarazzo BB, Walsh CG, Smoller JW, Boudreaux ED, Yarborough BJH, Shortreed SM, Coley RY, Ahmedani BK, Doshi RP, Harris LI, Schoenbaum M. Reconciling statistical and clinicians' predictions of suicide risk. Psychiatr Serv. 2021 Mar 11:appips202000214. doi: 10.1176/appi.ps.202000214. [Epub ahead of print]. PubMed
Welsh WN, Dembo R, Lehman WEK, Bartkowski JP, Hamilton L, Leukefeld CG, Wiley T. Critical factors influencing interorganizational relationships between juvenile probation and behavioral health agencies. Adm Policy Ment Health. 2021 Mar;48(2):233-249. doi: 10.1007/s10488-020-01066-7. PubMed
Harry ML, Coley RY, Waring SC, Simon GE. Evaluating the cross-cultural measurement invariance of the PHQ-9 between American Indian/Alaska native adults and diverse racial and ethnic groups. J Affect Disord Rep. 2021 Apr;4:100121. doi: 10.1016/j.jadr.2021.100121. Epub 2021 Feb 22. PubMed
![]() Gregory E. Simon, MD, MPHSenior Investigator |
![]() Ben Balderson, PhDSenior Collaborative Scientist |
![]() Katharine A. Bradley, MD, MPHSenior Investigator |
![]() Paula Lozano, MD, MPHSenior Investigator, Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute |
![]() Jennifer B. McClure, PhDDirector, Investigative Science |
![]() Robert Penfold, PhDSenior Investigator |
![]() Karen J. Sherman, PhDSenior Investigator |
![]() Susan M. Shortreed, PhDSenior Biostatistics Investigator |
![]() Dori E. Rosenberg, PhD, MPHAssociate Investigator |
![]() Gwen Lapham, PhD, MPH, MSWAssistant Investigator |
![]() Jennifer F. Bobb, PhDAssociate Biostatistics Investigator |
![]() Cara C. Lewis, PhDSenior Investigator |
![]() Joseph E. Glass, PhD, MSWAssociate Investigator |
![]() Kai Yeung, PharmD, PhDAssistant Investigator |
![]() Julie E. Richards, PhD, MPHSenior Collaborative Scientist |
![]() Paige D. Wartko, PhD, MPHCollaborative Scientist |
![]() Lynn DeBar, PhDSenior Investigator |
![]() Yates Coley, PhDAssistant Biostatistics Investigator |
![]() David S. Carrell, PhDAssociate Investigator |
![]() Abisola Idu, MS, MPHCollaborative Biostatistician I |
![]() Eric Johnson, MSSenior Collaborative Biostatistician |
![]() Rod L. Walker, MSSenior Collaborative Biostatistician |
![]() Robert D. Wellman, MSSenior Collaborative Biostatistician |
![]() Julia J. Smith, MSSenior Collaborative Biostatistician |
![]() Leah K. Hamilton, PhDCollaborative Scientist |
![]() Brian D. Williamson, PhDAssistant Biostatistics Investigator |
![]() Rosemary Meza, PhD, MSCollaborative Scientist |
Paul Crane, MD, MPH
Professor, Internal Medicine
University of Washington
Patrick Heagerty, PhD
Professor and Chair, Department of Biostatistics
University of Washington
Laura P. Richardson, MD, MPH
Adolescent Medicine
Seattle Children's Hospital
Professor, Department of Pediatrics
University of Washington
Noah R. Simon, PhD
Assistant Professor, Biostatistics
University of Washington
Principal Investigator, Therapeutics Development
Seattle Children’s Research Institute
Emily Williams, PhD, MPH
Investigator
Health Services Research & Development
VA Puget Sound Health Care System