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The following is a summary of “Exploring practice staffs’ perspectives regarding professional roles, confidence, and motivations in delivering mental health care within rural general practice: a qualitative exploration,” published in the November 2024 issue of Primary Care by Rattray et al.
General practice is essential in community mental health care, yet the factors influencing its delivery remain unclear.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study to examine general practice staff views on factors influencing primary mental health care.
They conducted a qualitative study with semi-structured interviews of 14 general practice staff involved in mental health care. The sample included 3 receptionists, 4 nurses, 3 practice managers, and 4 general practitioners, selected through purposive sampling. The interviews were guided by the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF), and thematic analysis was used to identify themes and subthemes.
The results showed 3 themes. The first, ‘Role identity, skills, and leadership,’ highlighted role overlap, essential skills, and valued leadership in experienced GPs. The second, ‘Confidence and involvement,’ covered varying confidence levels, involvement perceptions, and attitudes towards further engagement. The third, ‘Drivers and outcomes,’ revealed intrinsic motivations and recognized both benefits and consequences.
They found that general practice staff’s beliefs about roles, skills, and motivations significantly influenced mental health care provision. These insights have implications for improving practice management and shaping healthcare policy.
Source: bmcprimcare.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12875-024-02648-2
