title: Collaboration and referral practices of general practitioners and community mental health workers in rural and remote Australia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess an important part of Australia's National Mental Health Strategy by examining the collaboration and referral practices between general practitioners and community mental health workers in rural and remote areas.
  
  
  METHODS
  Semistructured interviews.
  
  
  METHODS
  Rural and remote health service region in Australia.
  
  
  METHODS
  In total, 31 general practitioners and 14 mental health workers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Meaningful collaboration and referral practices between general practitioners and mental health workers are prevented by contradictory and ambiguous definitions involving professional roles and mental health. A pattern of negative collaboration was further magnified by the rural and remote context.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The implementation of Australia's National Mental Health Strategy faces serious problems in rural and remote area due to the negative collaboration and referral practices between general practitioners and mental health workers.
authors.affiliation: University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia. lockhart@roundriver.org
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lockhart
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D044362:Australasia; D003142:Communication; D003156:Community Mental Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D005194:Family Practice / Q000458:organization & administration*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D011364:Professional Practice / Q000458:organization & administration*; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000458:organization & administration*; D019035:Rural Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*