Gregory E. Simon, MD, MPH

“We bring a practical approach to mental health research, working to break down barriers between research and real-world health care.”

Gregory E. Simon, MD, MPH

Senior Investigator, Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute
Psychiatrist, Washington Permanente Medical Group
Professor, Department of Health Systems Science, Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine
Research Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington

Gregory.E.Simon@kp.org
206-287-2979

Curriculum vitae (CV)

Biography

Greg Simon, MD, MPH, is a psychiatrist and senior investigator well-known for his extensive research on practical approaches to improving mental health care. He seeks to develop and evaluate effective real-world strategies that support better mental health and wellness. Current areas of emphasis include identifying and assessing suicide risk, improving care for treatment-resistant depression, and early intervention for mental health conditions in children and youth.

Dr. Simon leads the Mental Health Research Network (MHRN), a consortium of research centers affiliated with 13 large health systems across the United States, including Kaiser Permanente Washington. This network, funded through a cooperative agreement with the National Institute of Mental Health, aims to improve the efficiency, relevance, and impact of mental health clinical and health services research. Now in its second five-year funding cycle, the MHRN is exploring a broad range of issues—including suicide prevention, improving heart health in people with serious mental illness, using electronic medical records to improve follow-up care for depression, and understanding the causes of racial and ethnic disparities in mental health care.

Dr. Simon and his MHRN colleagues are conducting several large studies across MHRN health systems, including:

A pragmatic trial in four health systems examining the effect of systematic outreach programs to prevent suicide attempt among people at high risk.
Using electronic health records from seven health systems to develop and validate machine learning models to identify people at high risk of suicidal behavior.
A pragmatic trial in two health systems evaluating electronic health record tools to reduce risk of cardiovascular disease in people with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.
A rigorous evaluation of Zero Suicide care improvement programs in six health systems
Developing measures to assess quality of care for depression in two health systems.

Dr. Simon is an editor for the Cochrane Collaboration’s depression and anxiety review group, sits on the editorial board for General Hospital Psychiatry, and serves on the advisory board for the National Institutes of Health’s All of Us Program (formerly Precision Medicine Initiative). Earlier, he served on the editorial boards of Psychiatric Services and Psychological Medicine and chaired the scientific advisory board for the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance. Dr. Simon has practiced adult psychiatry in Kaiser Permanente Washington's Mental Health and Wellness Service since 1990 and is a research professor in psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of Washington.

Research interests and experience

Mental Health

Depression; bipolar disorder; suicide prevention; self-management; treatment adherence
Chronic Illness Management

Comorbidity of mental health conditions with obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and substance use disorders.

Recent publications

Simon GE, Katon WJ, VonKorff M, Unutzer J, Lin EH, Walker EA, Bush T, Rutter C, Ludman E. Cost-effectiveness of a collaborative care program for primary care patients with persistent depression. Am J Psychiatry. 2001;158(10):1638-44. PubMed

Lin EH, Simon GE, Katzelnick DJ, Pearson SD. Does physician education on depression management improve treatment in primary care? J Gen Intern Med. 2001;16(9):614-9. PubMed

Gureje O, Simon G, Von Korff M. A cross-national study of the course of persistent pain in primary care. Pain. 2001;92(1-2):195-200. PubMed

Katon W, Von Korff M, Lin E, Simon G. Rethinking practitioner roles in chronic illness: the specialist, primary care physician, and the practice nurse Gen Hosp Psychiatry. 2001;23(3):138-44. PubMed

Simon GE, Von Korff M, Rutter CM, Peterson DA. Treatment process and outcomes for managed care patients receiving new antidepressant prescriptions from psychiatrists and primary care physicians. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2001;58(4):395-401. PubMed

Wagner EH, Simon GE. Managing depression in primary care. The type of treatment matters less than ensuring it is done properly and followed up. BMJ. 2001;322(7289):746-7. PubMed

Simon GE, Gureje O, Fullerton C. Course of hypochondriasis in an international primary care study. Gen Hosp Psychiatry. 2001;23(2):51-5. PubMed

Katon W, Von Korff M, Lin E, Ludman E, Simon G, Walker E, Bush T. Population based depression care: lowering the prevalence of major depression in primary care. Ann Behav Med. 2001;23(Suppl):S034.

Ludman E, Bush T, Lin E, Von Korff M, Simon G, Katon W, Walker E. Behavioral factors associated with medication adherence and symptom outcomes in a primary care-based depression prevention intervention trial. Ann Behav Med. 2001;23(Suppl):S034.

Ludman E, Simon G. Applying chronic illness management concepts to care of common mental disorders. Ann Behav Med. 2001;23(Suppl):S039.