Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Multicenter Study
. 2007 Mar;57(536):204-11.

Implementing the role of the primary care mental health worker: a qualitative study

Elizabeth England  1 , Helen Lester
Affiliations
Multicenter Study

Implementing the role of the primary care mental health worker: a qualitative study

Elizabeth England et al. Br J Gen Pract. 2007 Mar.

Abstract

Background: Primary care mental health workers are a new role recently introduced into primary care in England to help manage patients with common mental health problems.

Aim: To explore the views of GPs, primary care teams and patients on the value and development of the new role of primary care mental health workers in practice.

Design of study: Qualitative study.

Setting: The Heart of Birmingham Primary Care Teaching Trust in the West Midlands, UK.

Method: Thirty-seven semi-structured interviews involving seven primary care mental health workers, 21 patients and 11 focus groups involving 38 members of primary care teams were held with six teams with a worker. Two teams asked for the worker to be removed. Six practice managers also took part in the study.

Results: A number of different approaches were used to implement this new role. Strategies that incorporated the views of primary care trust senior management, primary care teams and workers' views appeared most successful. Rapid access to a healthcare professional at times of stress and the befriending role of the worker were also highly valued. Workers felt that their role left them professionally isolated at times. A number of workers described tension around ownership of the role.

Conclusion: Primary care mental health workers appear to provide a range of skills valued by patients and the primary care teams and can increase patient access and choice in this area of health care. Successful implementation strategies highlighted in this study may be generalisable to other new roles in primary care.

PubMed Disclaimer

Comment in

  • The role of the primary care mental health worker.
    Agius M. Agius M. Br J Gen Pract. 2007 Apr;57(537):326. Br J Gen Pract. 2007. PMID: 17394741 Free PMC article. No abstract available.
  • Mental health workers.
    Gallant C, Chubb K, Alban R, Iliffe S. Gallant C, et al. Br J Gen Pract. 2007 May;57(538):411. Br J Gen Pract. 2007. PMID: 17504598 Free PMC article. No abstract available.

References

    1. Department of Health. National service framework for mental health: modern standards and service models. London: Department of Health; 1999.
    1. Mental Health Aftercare Association. First national GP survey of mental health in primary care. London: MACA; 1999.
    1. Donoghue JM, Tylee A. The treatment of depression: prescribing patterns of antidepressants in primary care in the UK. Br J Psychiatry. 1996;168:164–168. - PubMed
    1. Paykel ES, Tylee A, Wright A, et al. The Defeat Depression Campaign: psychiatry in the public arena. Am J Psychiatry. 1997;154(6 Suppl):59–65. - PubMed
    1. Katon W, Von Korff M, Lin E, et al. Collaborative management to achieve treatment guidelines: Impact on depression in primary care. JAMA. 1999;273(13):1026–1031. - PubMed

Publication types