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:
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.
Depression; bipolar disorder; suicide prevention; self-management; treatment adherence
Comorbidity of mental health conditions with obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and substance use disorders.
Lin EH, Katon WJ, Simon GE, Von Korff M, Bush TM, Rutter CM, Saunders KW, Walker EA. Achieving guidelines for the treatment of depression in primary care: is physician education enough? Med Care. 1997;35(8):831-42. PubMed
Unutzer J, Simon G, Pabiniak C, Bond K, Katon W. The treated prevalence of bipolar disorder in a large staff-model HMO. Psychiatr Serv. 1998;49(8):1072-8. PubMed
Gureje O, Von Korff M, Simon GE, Gater R. Persistent pain and well-being: a World Health Organization study in primary care. JAMA. 1998;280(2):147-51. PubMed
Von Korff M, Stewart WF, Simon DJ, Lipton RB. Migraine and reduced work performance: a population-based diary study. Neurology. 1998;50(6):1741-5. PubMed
Simon GE, Katon W, Rutter C, VonKorff M, Lin E, Robinson P, Bush T, Walker EA, Ludman E, Russo J. Impact of improved depression treatment in primary care on daily functioning and disability. Psychol Med. 1998;28(3):693-701. PubMed
Von Korff M, Katon W, Bush T, Lin EH, Simon GE, Saunders K, Ludman E, Walker E, Unutzer J. Treatment costs, cost offset and cost-effectiveness of collaborative management of depression. Psychosom Med. 1998;60(2):143-9. PubMed
Goldberg HI, Wagner EH, Fihn SD, Martin DP, Horowitz CR, Christensen DB, Cheadle AD, Diehr P, Simon G. A randomized controlled trial of CQI teams and academic detailing: can they alter compliance with guidelines? Jt Comm J Qual Improv. 1998;24(3):130-42. PubMed
Simon GE, Heiligenstein JH, Grothaus L, Katon W, Revicki D. Should anxiety and insomnia influence antidepressant selection: a randomized comparison of fluoxetine and imipramine. J Clin Psychiatry. 1998;59(2):49-55. PubMed
Simon GE, VonKorff M. Suicide mortality among patients treated for depression in an insured population. Am J Epidemiol. 1998;147(2):155-60. PubMed
Simon GE, Revicki DA, Grothaus L, Vonkorff M. SF-36 summary scores: Are physical and mental health truly distinct? Med Care. 1998;36(4):567-72. PubMed
Safety planning and risk screening improved outcomes for adult patients.
A new grant funds modeling work to make personalized treatment possible.
KPWHRI research finds ways to increase use of a firearm safety tool.
Study finds that many patients who might benefit from clozapine don’t receive it.
KPWHRI researchers are contributing to better mental health care for people nationwide.