This resource summarizes research on how social health interventions may affect PHMI priority outcomes related to depression screening and follow-up, depression response, and depression remission among adolescents and adults. It reviews interventions addressing food insecurity, housing instability, legal and financial needs, transportation, and other social conditions, including medical-legal partnerships, affordable housing support, free produce markets, produce prescriptions, social needs navigation, care management, group medical visits, and blended medical, mental health, and material-support interventions.
The brief describes evidence related to PHQ-9 and PHQ-2 depression scores and highlights interventions combining psychosocial support—such as motivational interviewing, advocacy, goal-setting, and structured problem-solving—with clinical care and social services. It also identifies significant evidence gaps, including the lack of studies examining social health interventions and depression screening rates, limited evidence involving adolescents, and uncertainty about how research-led interventions can be implemented by clinical teams in routine practice.