Gregory E. Simon, MD, MPH

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“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

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, VonKorff M, Piccinelli M, Fullerton C, Ormel J. An international study of the relation between somatic symptoms and depression. N Engl J Med. 1999;341(18):1329-35. PubMed

Simon GE, Unutzer J. Health care utilization and costs among patients treated for bipolar disorder in an insured population. Psychiatr Serv. 1999;50(10):1303-8. PubMed

Kessler RC, Barber C, Birnbaum HG, Frank RG, Greenberg PE, Rose RM, Simon GE, Wang P. Depression in the workplace: effects on short-term disability. Health Aff. 1999;18(5):163-71. PubMed

Pearson SD, Katzelnick DJ, Simon GE, Manning WG, Helstad CP, Henk HJ. Depression among high utilizers of medical care. J Gen Intern Med. 1999;14(8):461-8. PubMed

Ormel J, Vonkorff M, Oldehinkel AJ, Simon G, Tiemens BG, Ustun TB. Onset of disability in depressed and non-depressed primary care patients. Psychol Med. 1999;29(4):847-53. PubMed

Simon GE, Heiligenstein J, Revicki D, VonKorff M, Katon WJ, Ludman E, Grothaus L, Wagner E. Long-term outcomes of initial antidepressant drug choice in a "real world" randomized trial. Arch Fam Med. 1999;8(4):319-25. PubMed

Unutzer J, Katon W, Russo J, Simon G, Bush T, Walker E, Lin E, Van Korff M, Ludman E. Patterns of care for depressed older adults in a large-staff model HMO. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry. 1999;7(3):235-43. PubMed

Gureje O, Simon GE. The natural history of somatization in primary care. Psychol Med. 1999;29(3):669-76. PubMed

Piccinelli M, Rucci P, Ustun B, Simon G. Typologies of anxiety, depression and somatization symptoms among primary care attenders with no formal mental disorder. Psychol Med. 1999;29(3):677-88. PubMed

Linden M, Lecrubier Y, Bellantuono C, Benkert O, Kisely S, Simon G. The prescribing of psychotropic drugs by primary care physicians: an international collaborative study. J Clin Psychopharmacol. 1999;19(2):132-40. PubMed

 

Research

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Suicide attempts decreased after adding suicide care to primary care

Safety planning and risk screening improved outcomes for adult patients.

Research

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Can machine learning help treat depression more effectively?

A new grant funds modeling work to make personalized treatment possible.

Research

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Understanding adoption of Lock to Live, a decision aid supporting suicide prevention

KPWHRI research finds ways to increase use of a firearm safety tool.

Research

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A medication that can relieve symptoms of psychosis is underused

Study finds that many patients who might benefit from clozapine don’t receive it.

Research

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Improving and advancing mental health care

KPWHRI researchers are contributing to better mental health care for people nationwide.