title: Effectiveness of teaching general practitioners skills in brief cognitive behaviour therapy to treat patients with depression: randomised controlled trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the effectiveness of teaching general practitioners skills in brief cognitive behaviour therapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Parallel group, cluster randomised, controlled trial of an educational package on cognitive behaviour therapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  General practices in north London.
  
  
  METHODS
  84 general practitioner principals and 272 patients attending their practices who scored above the threshold for psychological distress on the hospital anxiety and depression scale.
  
  
  METHODS
  A training package of four half days on brief cognitive behaviour therapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Scores on the depression attitude questionnaire (general practitioners) and the Beck depression inventory (patients).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Doctors' knowledge of depression and attitudes towards its treatment showed no major difference between intervention and control groups after 6 months. The training had no discernible impact on patients' outcomes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  General practitioners may require more training and support than a basic educational package on brief cognitive behaviour therapy to acquire skills to help patients with depression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences, Royal Free and University College Medical School, Royal Free Campus, London NW3 2PF. m.king@rfc.ucl.ac.uk
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: King
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Davidson
authors.forename: Fiona
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Haines
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sharp
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Turner
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002983:Clinical Competence; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000193:education*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000628:therapy*; D004502:Education, Medical, Continuing / Q000379:methods*; D005194:Family Practice / Q000193:education*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008131:London; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011614:Psychotherapy, Brief / Q000193:education*; D016896:Treatment Outcome