29.1 SCREENING AND TREATING FOR DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY IN INDIVIDUALS WITH CYSTIC FIBROSIS

Objectives: The goal of this session is to describe the evolution of the International Committee on Mental Health in Cystic Fibrosis (ICMH) formed by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF) and European Cystic Fibrosis Society and the new care guidelines for the screening and treatment of depression and anxiety in individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF) and their caregivers. Methods: The guidelines were developed using a combined approach of evidence synthesis and expert consensus. A survey was conducted focusing on current provision and barriers to mental healthcare. Finally, to ensure successful implementation of the guidelines at CF centers, the CFF appointed a multi-stakeholder mental health task force. Their plan to bolster training for CF professionals and deploy resources to centers will be reviewed. Results: The mental health guidelines were informed by an international depression and anxiety epidemiological study on CF that assessed symptoms in more than 6,000 patients and 4,000 parent caregivers, finding elevations two to three times those of community samples groups. Depression and anxiety in CF have been associated with decreased lung function, lower BMI, worse adherence, poor health-related quality of life, more frequent hospitalizations, and increased healthcare costs. Given the high rates of depression and anxiety and their effects on health outcomes and quality of life, the ICMH developed guidelines to address the mental health needs of individuals with CF and parent caregivers, with protocols for the screening, assessment, and treatment of depression and anxiety within CF care centers. To facilitate implementation of the guidelines in the United States, the CFF established a mental health task force to bolster mental healthcare among its network of over 120 CF care centers. The task force sponsors education and training and has launched a funding program to provide resources to centers using a model of mental health integration in primary care. The CFF has operationalized a team-based approach for improving mental healthcare for individuals with CF and parent caregivers, with the addition of mental health coordinators and consulting psychiatrists to the highly specialized, multidisciplinary CF care teams. Conclusions: The CFF is integrating evidence-informed screening and treatment for depression and anxiety into the total clinical care of the individual within accredited CF centers.