Psychological morbidity in general practice managers: a descriptive and explanatory study.

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Primary Care Management
• Mental Health in the Workplace

Background:

• Establishing an occupational health service for primary care requires understanding the health needs of general practice employees.
• Current occupational health provisions within the National Health Service (NHS) do not adequately cater to primary care staff.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of stress, anxiety, and depression among general practice managers.
• To identify occupational factors associated with these mental health conditions in practice managers.

Main Methods:

• A postal questionnaire was distributed to 149 practice managers in two English health authorities.
• The survey included the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS).
• Data were collected on work-related stress and demographic factors.

Main Results:

• A response rate of 75% (111 managers) was achieved.
• 37% of managers met the case criteria for psychological distress (GHQ), 44% reported anxiety symptoms (HADS), and 17% reported depressive symptoms (HADS).
• Higher odds of distress were linked to larger GP partner numbers and practices not receiving deprivation payments.
• Perceived difficulties with administrative duties (RR=3.27) and interactions with GPs (RR=1.86) were significant predictors of case status.

Conclusions:

• General practice managers exhibit high self-reported levels of stress, anxiety, and depression.
• There is a clear need for an occupational health service tailored to the unique demands faced by primary care professionals.
• The NHS should develop and implement comprehensive occupational health support for both clinical and non-clinical primary care teams.