General practitioners' perspectives on barriers to depression care: development and validation of a questionnaire

A Cross-Sectional Study of the Prevalence and Determinants of Common Mental Health Problems in Primary Care in Switzerland

Objective: This study investigated the prevalence of the most common mental health symptoms in a large primary care patient population and characterized their determinants. Methods: Data came from a 2015-16 cross-sectional study of a primary care population in Switzerland. An investigator presented the study to patients in waiting rooms, and 1,103 completed a tablet-based questionnaire measuring stress in daily life, sleep disorders and anxiety and depressive symptoms. Diagnoses and treatments were recorded. Results: Moderate-to-high anxiety and depressive symptoms concerned 7.7% of patients; 27.6% felt stressed at least once a week; 17.2% had severe sleep disorders. Sociodemographic determinants were associated with psychiatric symptoms: female sex, young age, and frequency of consultations with a GP. Participants taking psychotropics had high levels of mental distress. Conclusion: Even though most patients were regularly monitored by their GP, a significant number of mental health problems were found. GPs should be provided with concrete tools to manage these patients better. Collaboration with mental health specialists should be encouraged in primary care settings.

Improving Depression Screening in Primary Care

Background

Depression is a serious problem in the United States. It not only impacts chronic illness and healthcare utilization, but it can also result in death, intentional or unintentional. Despite the seriousness associated with depression, it continues to be underdiagnosed and undertreated. The primary care setting provides an ideal location to screen and initiate treatment for depression in individuals who would otherwise not be screened.

Objective

The objective of this evidence-based practice project was to improve the diagnosis and treatment of depression in an adult primary care office.

Method

An intervention consisting of a HealthWatcher reminder for depression screening, the administration of the PHQ-9 instrument, and a treatment algorithm was incorporated into the office workflow. The charts of a pre-intervention random sample were compared to a post-intervention random sample to test for significant differences in depression screening and treatment rates.

Results

Using the chi-squared test, the post-intervention sample screening rate was significantly higher than pre-intervention sample rate (90% vs 23.3%; χ2 = 54.3, df = 1, P < .000).

Conclusion/Implications

It is feasible to improve the diagnosis and treatment of depression for adult primary care patients by modifying office protocols and using the PHQ-9 screening instrument and a treatment algorithm.