Treating Depression With Trauma-Informed Care in Chile

Treating Depression With Trauma-Informed Care in Chile

Major Depression (MD) is a prevalent and disabling condition worldwide, including in Chile, where most cases are managed within the primary care system. In Chilean primary care, evidence highlights key factors associated with more complex presentations of MD and poorer outcomes, such as a history of childhood trauma. This presentation integrates this evidence and shares the results of implementing an innovative, collaborative, trauma-informed care approach aimed at improving depression outcomes in Chile's primary care setting.

Dr. Verónica Vitriol is a Psychiatrist with a Master’s degree in Psychology, specializing in Psychoanalysis. Since 2010, she has been a professor and Head of Psychiatry at the School of Medicine at the University of Talca, and since 2019, she has served as the Director of the Psychiatry Residency Program. With over 30 years of experience, Dr. Vitriol has worked in the Psychiatry Service at Curicó Hospital, which serves one of the most socioeconomically and culturally disadvantaged populations in Chile. She has conducted extensive research on the relationship between affective disorders and adverse biographical experiences, resulting in multiple publications. Her most recent project, recently published in the Annals of Family Medicine, demonstrated the effectiveness of a trauma-informed collaborative care model in improving depressive symptoms and treatment adherence in primary care.