Prevention and management of depression in primary care in Europe: a holistic model of care and interventions -- position paper of the European Forum for Primary Care

Citation

Maxwell M & Pratt R (2008) Prevention and management of depression in primary care in Europe: a holistic model of care and interventions -- position paper of the European Forum for Primary Care. Quality in Primary Care, 16 (3), pp. 187-196.

Abstract
This position paper seeks to emphasise the importance of tackling depression and depression-related conditions, and the key role that primary care can (and does) play in the management of these commonmental health problems, and in partnership with others. The paper is aimed at a wide range of individuals and organisations including: policy makers in the EU and its member states; health, social care and voluntary sector service managers and planners; aswell as a range of primary and communitycare professionals.The paper argues for a broad definition of 'depression' which reflects the primary care experience and in doing so incorporates a range of options based around a stepped model of care, depending on levels of need, severity and disability. This paper is complementary to the European Forum for Primary Care's (EFPC's) positionpaper Mental Health in Europe, the Role and Contribution of Primary Care, which focuses on the relationship between primary care and other mental health services and issues of access, training, sustainability and quality of care across the whole range of mental health services. The topic of depression in primary care can also encompass more-specialised topics such as postnatal depression, bipolar disorder and child and adolescent mental health. However, it is not within the scope of this general paper to cover these specific topics.

Keywords
access; care; Child; Chronic Disease; Comorbidity; DATE; Depression; Depression -- Prevention and Control; Depression -- Therapy; Development; DISABILITIES; Disability; Disease Management; Editorial; email; ENTRY; eu; EUROPE; experience; Head; Health; HEALTH promotion; Health services; HEALTH services administration; HEALTH-SERVICES; Holistic; Holistic Care; INDIVIDUALS; interest; Intervention; Interventions; IRELAND; ISSUES; language; LEVEL; levels; Management; Managers; MEMBER; mental; Mental health; Mental Health Services; MENTAL-HEALTH; model; NEED; NUMBER; Nursing; Organisation; other; PARTNERSHIP; Peer Reviewed; Peer-Reviewed; PLANNERS; Play; policies; Policy; Prevention; primary; primary care; Primary Health Care -- Europe; Psychiatric nursing; QUALITY; Quality Assurance; RANGE; relationship; Research; Role; Science; Sciences; Scotland; SECTOR; Self Care; service; services; social care; SOCIAL sciences; STANDARDS; state; STATES; Stirling; Suicide; Support,Psychosocial; SUSTAINABILITY; Training; UK; universities; VOLUNTARY

Journal
Quality in Primary Care: Volume 16, Issue 3