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
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 reducing racial and ethnic disparities in mental health care.
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, originally 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. 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 have conducted 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 sits on the editorial board for the journal General Hospital Psychiatry, and co-chairs the National Academy of Medicine’s Forum on Drug Discovery, Development and Translation.. Dr. Simon has practiced adult psychiatry in Kaiser Permanente Washington's Mental Health and Wellness Service since 1990. He is also a professor in the department of Health Systems Science at the Bernard J Tyson Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine and an adjunct professor inPsychiatry and Behavioral Dciences at the University of Washington.
Research interests and experience
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Mental Health
Depression; bipolar disorder; suicide prevention; self-management; treatment adherence
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Chronic Illness Management
Comorbidity of mental health conditions with obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and substance use disorders.
Recent publications
Simon GE, Stewart C, Yarborough BJ, Lynch F, Coleman KJ, Beck A, Operskalski BH, Penfold RB, Hunkeler EM. Mortality rates after the first diagnosis of psychotic disorder in adolescents and young adults. JAMA Psychiatry. 2018 Mar 1;75(3):254-260. doi: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2017.4437. PubMed
Simon GE, Stewart C, Hunkeler EM, Yarborough BJ, Lynch F, Coleman KJ, Beck A, Operskalski BH, Penfold RB, Carrell DS. Care pathways before first diagnosis of a psychotic disorder in adolescents and young adults. Am J Psychiatry. 2018 May 1;175(5):434-442. doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2017.17080844. Epub 2018 Jan 24. PubMed
Rossom RC, Simon GE, Coleman KJ, Beck A, Oliver M, Stewart C, Ahmedani B. Are wishes for death or suicidal ideation symptoms of depression in older adults? Aging Ment Health. 2019 Jul;23(7):912-918. doi: 10.1080/13607863.2017.1423032. Epub 2018 Jan 17. PubMed
Simon G. Should psychiatrists write the exercise prescription for depression? Am J Psychiatry. 2018 Jan 1;175(1):2-3. doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2017.17090990. PubMed
Zeber JE, Coleman KJ, Fischer H, Yoon TK, Ahmedani BK, Beck A, Hubley S, Imel ZE, Rossom RC, Shortreed SM, Stewart C, Waitzfelder BE, Simon GE. The impact of race and ethnicity on rates of return to psychotherapy for depression. Depress Anxiety. 2017 Dec;34(12):1157-1163. doi: 10.1002/da.22696. Epub 2017 Nov 2. PubMed
Simon GE, Johnson E, Stewart C, Rossom RC, Beck A, Coleman KJ, Waitzfelder B, Penfold R, Operskalski BH, Shortreed SM. Does patient adherence to antidepressant medication actually vary between physicians? J Clin Psychiatry. 2018 May/Jun;79(3). pii: 16m11324. doi: 10.4088/JCP.16m11324. PubMed
Sanchez SE, Pineda O, Chaves DZ, Zhong QY, Gelaye B, Simon GE, Rondon MB, Williams MA. Childhood physical and sexual abuse experiences associated with post-traumatic stress disorder among pregnant women. Ann Epidemiol. 2017 Nov;27(11):716-723.e1. doi: 10.1016/j.annepidem.2017.09.012. Epub 2017 Oct 13. PubMed
Simon GE, Coronado G, DeBar LL, Dember LM, Green BB, Huang SS, Jarvik JG, Mor V, Ramsberg J, Septimus EJ, Staman KL, Vazquez MA, Vollmer WM, Zatzick D, Hernandez AF, Platt R. Data sharing and embedded research: introduction. In: Rethinking Clinical Trials: A Living Textbook of Pragmatic Clinical Trials. Bethesda, MD: NIH Health Care Systems Research Collaboratory. PubMed
Simon GE, Coronado G, DeBar LL, Dember LM, Green BB, Huang SS, Jarvik JG, Mor V, Ramsberg J, Septimus EJ, Staman KL, Vazquez MA, Vollmer WM, Zatzick D, Hernandez AF, Platt R. Data sharing and embedded research. Ann Intern Med. 2017 Nov 7;167(9):668-670. doi: 10.7326/M17-0863. Epub 2017 Oct 3. PubMed
Weinfurt KP, Hernandez AF, Coronado GD, DeBar LL, Dember LM, Green BB, Heagerty PJ, Huang SS, James KT, Jarvik JG, Larson EB, Mor V, Platt R, Rosenthal GE, Septimus EJ, Simon GE, Staman KL, Sugarman J, Vazquez M, Zatzick D, Curtis LH. Pragmatic clinical trials embedded in healthcare systems: generalizable lessons from the NIH Collaboratory. BMC Med Res Methodol. 2017 Sep 18;17(1):144. doi: 10.1186/s12874-017-0420-7. PubMed
Research
Suicide attempts decreased after adding suicide care to primary care
Safety planning and risk screening improved outcomes for adult patients.
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Can machine learning help treat depression more effectively?
A new grant funds modeling work to make personalized treatment possible.
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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.
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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
Improving and advancing mental health care
KPWHRI researchers are contributing to better mental health care for people nationwide.
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