Collaboration Between GPs and Psychologists: Dissatisfaction from the Psychologists' Perspective-A Cross-Sectional...

Area of Science:

• Mental Health Research
• Primary Care
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Collaborative mental health in primary care improves patient outcomes.
• Effective collaboration between general practitioners (GPs) and psychologists is crucial for non-pharmacological mental healthcare.
• Understanding psychologists' perceptions of GPs and their collaboration is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the quality of collaboration between GPs and psychologists from the psychologists' viewpoint.
• To identify factors associated with satisfactory collaboration between these professionals.

Main Methods:

• A questionnaire survey was distributed to private psychologists in a French region in February 2017.
• Descriptive and multivariate analyses were conducted on the collected data.
• The study achieved a response rate of 38% (434 out of 1128 psychologists).

Main Results:

• 64% of psychologists reported unsatisfactory collaboration with GPs.
• Key barriers included lack of time, understanding, and poor communication.
• Satisfactory collaboration was linked to more GP interactions, receipt of referral information, and perceived GP understanding of psychology.

Conclusions:

• Psychologists perceive current collaboration with GPs as substandard, with limited GP understanding of their role.
• Enhancing professional interactions and mutual understanding is essential for improving collaborative mental healthcare.
• Findings highlight the need for better communication channels and education between GPs and psychologists.