Older adults with depression typically present to primary care rather than specialty mental health treatment and are often un- or undertreated, as the demand for mental health services is greater than the supply of trained providers. Technology is one method to improve access to care by making evidence-based psychosocial interventions (EBPIs) readily accessible. A second method comes from global mental health research, demonstrating that task-sharing can equip non-specialists to provide effective mental health care. This study combines these two approaches, exploring how technology-enhanced EBPI could be used by frontline primary care staff (e.g., nurses, medical assistants) to expand workforce capacity to deliver acceptable, sustainable, and effective treatment for depression.

This approach addresses critical barriers to geriatric depression treatment in primary care, including the shortage of trained mental health providers and limited access to evidence-based interventions. By expanding workforce capacity through task-sharing and technology enhancement, the intervention has the potential to improve detection and treatment rates for depression among older adults who primarily receive care in primary care settings rather than specialty mental health services. The study addresses the significant gap where only about one in five older adults with depression receives effective treatment in primary care.