title: [Do mental health nurses take over care from general practitioners?]
abstract: The objective of this study was to examine mental health care provided by general practitioners and by mental health nurses working in general practices.
  
  
  
  Observational research.
  
  
  
  We analysed how many consultations with patients with mental health problems were recorded in Dutch general practices in the period 2010-2014. General practices with and without a mental health nurse were compared, and we investigated which patients were mainly treated by mental health nurses.
  
  
  
  An increasing number of patients visited the GP for mental health problems in the period 2010-2014. GPs collaborating with a mental health nurse recorded a somewhat higher number of patients with mental health problems than GPs without a mental health nurse, but used as many consultations per patient. Mental health nurses mainly treat females, adult patients, and patients with common mental health problems.
  
  
  
  Mental health nurses do not take over care from GPs, but provide additional mental health care to patients with mental health problems. Collaborating with a mental health nurse might increase GPs' alertness to record mental health problems.
authors.affiliation: *Dit onderzoek werd eerder gepubliceerd in BMJ Open (2016;6:e011579) met als titel 'Consultations in general practices with and without mental health nurses: an observational study from 2010 to 2014'. Afgedrukt met toestemming.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Magnée
authors.forename: D P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: de Beurs
authors.forename: D H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: de Bakker
authors.forename: P F M
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Verhaak
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005194:Family Practice / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D058006:General Practice / Q000379:methods*; D058005:General Practitioners / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000451:nursing*; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands; D011568:Psychiatric Nursing