title: Caring for depressed patients in rural communities: general practitioners' attitudes, needs and relationships with mental health services.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the needs and practices of rural GPs and their relationships with local acute mental health services, particularly in the provision of care to depressed patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Postal survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  Rural general practices.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety-nine GPs (63 males, 36 females) from the Hunter Valley region of NSW, Australia.
  
  
  METHODS
  GPs' self-reported contact rates, confidence, needs and beliefs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Depression was the most commonly seen mental disorder, with an average of 1.44 patients per GP per month referred to local acute mental health services, most commonly for suicidality. The preferred form of feedback after the referral of a depressed patient was a follow-up letter, while the most requested type of patient management support was cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) groups. GPs were most confident in recognising depression, compared to other mental disorders except anxiety, and they were most confident in treating depression, compared to all other mental disorders. The most common barrier to providing care for depressed patients was reported to be 'time constraints' on GPs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The challenge for mental health services is to develop ways to collaborate more effectively with GPs in the provision of psychological services for depressed patients in rural communities.
authors.affiliation: Hunter New England Mental Health and the Centre for Mental Health Studies, University of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia. megan.wright@hnehealth.nsw.gov.au
authors.forename: Megan J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Wright
authors.forename: Karen D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Harmon
authors.forename: Jennifer A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Bowman
authors.forename: Terry J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Lewin
authors.forename: Vaughan J
authors.initials: VJ
authors.lastname: Carr
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003863:Depression / Q000628:therapy*; D005194:Family Practice / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D020380:Needs Assessment; D009517:New South Wales; D019982:Organizational Case Studies; D011364:Professional Practice / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019035:Rural Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*