Related Experiment Videos
How do Victorian GPs manage patients with depression?
Heather McGarry1, Kelsey Hegarty, Jane Gunn
1University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. h.mcgarry@unimelb.edu.au
Australian Family Physician
|July 7, 2005
Summary
General practitioners (GPs) frequently use medication and supportive counseling for depression but rarely employ focused psychological strategies. Enhanced training may improve the use of these evidence-based therapies in primary care.
Area of Science:
- General Practice
- Mental Health Care
- Psychological Therapies
Background:
- Depression management in general practice is under-documented, particularly the interplay between pharmacotherapy and focused psychological strategies.
- Government initiatives aim to improve primary care mental health service delivery.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the current practices of general practitioners (GPs) in managing depression.
- To examine the relationship between medication use and the application of focused psychological strategies by GPs.
Main Methods:
- A postal survey was conducted among a random sample of 350 Victorian GPs.
- Data were collected between November 2001 and April 2002.
Main Results:
- The response rate was 48%.
- Most GPs (82%) prescribed medication and (87%) provided supportive counseling for mild to moderate depression.
- Fewer than 20% of GPs frequently utilized focused psychological strategies; however, training in psychiatry or these strategies correlated with their use.
Conclusions:
- GPs predominantly rely on medication and supportive counseling for depression management.
- There is a low reported frequency of using focused psychological strategies among GPs.
- Future educational initiatives should address barriers to implementing focused psychological strategies to enhance depression care in primary settings.