Paige M Berry, MPH¹, Luz Santana, MS², Dan Rothstein, EdD², and Margarita Alegria, PhD¹. (1) Center for Multicultural Mental Health Research, Cambridge Health Alliance-Harvard Medical School, 120 Beacon Street, 4th Floor, Somerville, MA 02143, 617-503-8447, malegria@charesearch.org, (2) Right Question Project, Inc., 2464 Massachusetts Avenue, Suite 314, Cambridge, MA 02140

A collaborative relationship between provider and patient is increasingly emphasized as a way to improve recognition and treatment of depression in primary care. Most minority consumers seeking mental health treatment are less likely to have a collaborative relationship with providers than similarly situated white consumers. Recent research results suggest that the development of help-seeking skills among ethnic minorities may be a central element in better outcomes for depressed minority patients. However, research conducted to date has not been able to ascertain the independent effect of patient activation and empowerment on improved outcomes for depression. We will describe a culturally and literacy appropriate patient activation/empowerment pilot, called the Right Question Project (RQP), which to date has been adapted to help people with low and moderate-income backgrounds to navigate welfare agencies, the health care system, housing programs, homeless shelters, job training centers and many other publicly supported agencies, programs and institutions. Once adapted to a mental health setting, the RQP approach will guide patients on how to formulate their own questions about their health care concerns and treatment and focus effectively on key decisions that are made during the course of treating depression. We will explain the RQP strategy, address the adaptation process to a mental health setting, and discuss the research design, preliminary analysis, implications for retention in care, and future directions.

Learning Objectives:

• Articulate the components and objectives of the RQP approach
• Describe the activities and tools used to empower patients
• Discuss the connection between patient empowerment and retention in care

Keywords: Decision-Making, Mental Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.