Abstract
Background
The aim of the current study was to investigate feasibility, response, and consequences of mental health screening and intervention in a population study setting.
Methods
In the Intervention study against Depression and Anxiety in Nord-Trøndelag (IDANT), all GPs and psychiatric nurses were invited to a psychiatric educational programme prior to the Health Study of Nord-Trøndelag County, Norway (HUNT 2, 1995–1997). Included in the HUNT 2 was the Hospital Anxiety and Depression rating Scale (HADS). All participants scoring 25 points or above (99th percentile, n = 654) were defined as the Psychiatric High Risk Group, (PHRG) and received a written notification regarding their high scores with a request to see their GP and to participate in the IDANT.
Results
In total 422 (64%) baseline forms could be retrieved in the IDANT. However, only 177 (27%) were returned by the GPs. Three out of four participants in the PHRG were already recognised by their GPs as patients with mental disorders prior to the IDANT. Negative reactions to the notification letter or to the invitation to the IDANT were uncommon, still only half of the subjects in the PHRG participated in the study. However, as a consequence of the IDANT in 64% of the cases the GPs started new treatment, revised ongoing treatment, or referred the respondents.
Conclusions
Though attitude towards psychiatry among GPs and participants was generally positive, response to the IDANT study was inadequate. Relatively few new cases were detected, yet the results indicate that the GPs altered their psychiatric care and practice markedly within the PHRG. Whether the educational programme had an impact on psychiatric services in the county in general cannot be answered in this study.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Narrow WE, Rae DS, Robins LN, Regier DA (2002) Revised prevalence estimates of mental disorders in the United States: using a clinical significance criterion to reconcile 2 surveys’ estimates. Arch Gen Psychiatr 59(2):115–123
Alonso J, Angermeyer MC, Bernert S, Bruffaerts R, Brugha TS, Bryson H et al (2004) Prevalence of mental disorders in Europe: results from the European Study of the Epidemiology of Mental Disorders (ESEMeD) project. Acta Psychiatr Scand Suppl 109(420):21–27
Wittchen HU, Carter RM, Pfister H, Montgomery SA, Kessler RC (2000) Disabilities and quality of life in pure and comorbid generalized anxiety disorder and major depression in a national survey. Int Clin Psychopharmacol 15(6):319–328
Lepine JP (2001) Epidemiology, burden, and disability in depression and anxiety. J Clin Psychiatry 13(62):4–10
Rice DP, Miller LS (1998) Health economics and cost implications of anxiety and other mental disorders in the United States. Br J Psychiatry Suppl JID—9001294 172(34):4–9
Murray CJ, Lopez AD (1997) Alternative projections of mortality and disability by cause 1990–2020: Global Burden of Disease Study. Lancet 349(9064):1498–1504
Maier W, Falkai P (1999) The epidemiology of comorbidity between depression, anxiety disorders and somatic diseases. Int Clin Psychopharmacol 2(14):S1–S6
Seivewright H, Tyrer P, Johnson T (1998) Prediction of outcome in neurotic disorder: a 5-year prospective study. Psychol Med 28(5):1149–1157
Alonso J, Angermeyer MC, Bernert S, Bruffaerts R, Brugha TS, Bryson H et al (2004) Use of mental health services in Europe: results from the European Study of the Epidemiology of Mental Disorders (ESEMeD) project. Acta Psychiatr Scand Suppl 109(420):47–54
Bodlund O (1997) Anxiety and depression as a hidden problem in primary health care. Only one case in four identified. Lakartidningen JID—0027707 94(49):4612–4618
Kessler D, Lloyd K, Lewis G, Gray DP (1999) Cross sectional study of symptom attribution and recognition of depression and anxiety in primary care. BMJ 318(7181):436–439
Roness A, Mykletun A, Dahl AA (2005) Help-seeking behaviour in patients with anxiety disorder and depression. Acta Psychiatr Scand 111(1):51–58
Thompson A, Hunt C, Issakidis C (2004) Why wait? Reasons for delay and prompts to seek help for mental health problems in an Australian clinical sample. Soc Psych Psych Epidemiol 39(10):810–817
Kessler D, Bennewith O, Lewis G, Sharp D (2002) Detection of depression and anxiety in primary care: follow up study. BMJ 325(7371):1016–1017
Alonso J, Angermeyer MC, Bernert S, Bruffaerts R, Brugha TS, Bryson H et al (2004) Psychotropic drug utilization in Europe: results from the European Study of the Epidemiology of Mental Disorders (ESEMeD) project. Acta Psychiatr Scand Suppl 109(420):55–64
Wittchen HU, Kessler RC, Beesdo K, Krause P, Hofler M, Hoyer J (2002) Generalized anxiety and depression in primary care: prevalence, recognition, and management. J Clin Psychiatry 8(63):24–34
Wrigley S, Jackson H, Judd F, Komiti A (2005) Role of stigma and attitudes toward help-seeking from a general practitioner for mental health problems in a rural town. Aust NZ J Psychiatry 39(6):514–521
Angermeyer MC, Matschinger H (2005) Have there been any changes in the public’s attitudes towards psychiatric treatment? Results from representative population surveys in Germany in the years 1990 and 2001. Acta Psychiatr Scand 111(1):68–73
Hodges B, Inch C, Silver I (2001) Improving the psychiatric knowledge, skills, and attitudes of primary care physicians, 1950–2000: a review. Am J Psychiatry 158(10):1579–1586
Rihmer Z, Rutz W, Pihlgren H (1995) Depression and suicide on Gotland An intensive study of all suicides before and after a depression-training programme for general practitioners. J Affect Disord JID—7906073 35(4):147–152
Isacsson G (2000) Suicide prevention—a medical breakthrough? Acta Psychiatr Scand 102(2):113–117
Holmen J, Midthjell K, Kruger Ø, Langhammer A, Holmen TL, Bratberg GH et al (2003) The Nord-Trøndelag Health Study 1995–97 (HUNT 2): objectices, content, methods and participation. Norsk Epidemiologi 13(1):19–32
Spitzer RL, Williams JB, Gibbon M, First MB (1992) The Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R (SCID) I: history, rationale, and description. Arch Gen Psychiatry 49(8): 624–629
NHS Health Advisory Service (1994) Suicide prevention: the challenge confronted. A manual of guidance for the purchasers and providers of Mental Health Care. 1994. London, Her Majesty’s Stationary Office, 138 pp
Kessing LV (2004) Severity of depressive episodes according to ICD-10: prediction of risk of relapse and suicide. Br J Psychiatry 184:153–156
Snaith RP, Zigmond AS (1986) The hospital anxiety and depression scale. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) 292(6516):344
Bjelland I, Dahl AA, Haug TT, Neckelmann D (2002) The validity of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. An updated literature review. J Psychosom Res 52(2):69–77
Burra P, Kalin R, Leichner P, Waldron JJ, Handforth JR, Jarrett FJ et al (1982) The ATP 30-a scale for measuring medical students’ attitudes to psychiatry. Med Educ JID—7605655 16(1):31–38
Creed F, Goldberg D (1987) Students’ attitudes towards psychiatry. Med Educ 21(3):227–234
Strebel B, Obladen M, Lehmann E, Gaebel W (2000) Attitude of medical students to psychiatry. A study with the German translated, expanded version of the ATP-30. Nervenarzt 71(3):205–212
Williamson HA Jr (1989) Clinical and demographic factors associated with high levels of depression symptoms. Fam Med 21(6):428–432
Goodwin RD (2003) Association between physical activity and mental disorders among adults in the United States. Prev Med 36(6):698–703
Jorm AF, Rodgers B, Jacomb PA, Christensen H, Henderson S, Korten AE (1999) Smoking and mental health: results from a community survey. Med J Aust 170(2):74–77
Harter MC, Conway KP, Merikangas KR (2003) Associations between anxiety disorders and physical illness. Eur Arch Psychiatr Clin Neurosci 253(6):313–320
Moldin SO, Scheftner WA, Rice JP, Nelson E, Knesevich MA, Akiskal H (1993) Association between major depressive disorder and physical illness. Psychol Med 23(3):755–761
Kessler RC, McGonagle KA, Zhao S, Nelson CB, Hughes M, Eshleman S et al (1994) Lifetime and 12-month prevalence of DSM-III-R psychiatric disorders in the United States Results from the National Comorbidity Survey. Arch Gen Psychiatr JID—0372435 51(1):8–19
Kringlen E, Torgersen S, Cramer V (2001) Norwegian psychiatric epidemiological study. Am J Psychiatry 158(7):1091–1098
Coyne JC, Schwenk TL, Fechner-Bates S (1995) Nondetection of depression by primary care physicians reconsidered. Gen Hosp Psychiatry 17(1):3–12
Simon GE, VonKorff M, Piccinelli M, Fullerton C, Ormel J (1999) An international study of the relation between somatic symptoms and depression. N Engl J Med JID—0255562 341(18):1329–1335
de Silva N, Samarasinghe D (1990) Acceptance of a psychiatric screening questionnaire by general practice attenders. Ceylon Med J 35(3):105–108
Zimmerman M, Farber NJ, Hartung J, Lush DT, Kuzma MA (1994) Screening for psychiatric disorders in medical patients: a feasibility and patient acceptance study. Med Care 32(6):603–608
Andersen SM, Harthorn BH (1990) Changing the psychiatric knowledge of primary care physicians The effects of a brief intervention on clinical diagnosis and treatment. Gen Hosp Psychiatry 12(3):177–190
Howe A (1996) Detecting psychological distress: can general practitioners improve their own performance? Br J Gen Pract 46(408):407–410
Mazonson PD, Mathias SD, Fifer SK, Buesching DP, Malek P, Patrick DL (1996) The mental health patient profile: does it change primary care physicians’ practice patterns? J Am Board Fam Pract 9(5):336–345
Evans PH, Lloyd KR, Powell RA, Kessler D, Allen J, Blizard B et al (2002) The Exeter Depression Audit Package: pilot study findings. Primary Care Psychiatry 8(2):47–53
Gask L, Dowrick C, Dixon C, Sutton C, Perry R, Torgerson D et al (2004) A pragmatic cluster randomized controlled trial of an educational intervention for GPs in the assessment and management of depression. Psychol Med 34(1):63–72
Thompson C, Kinmonth AL, Stevens L, Peveler RC, Stevens A, Ostler KJ et al (2000) Effects of a clinical-practice guideline and practice-based education on detection and outcome of depression in primary care: Hampshire Depression Project randomised controlled trial. Lancet JID—2985213R 355(9199): 185–191
Atherton-Naji A, Hamilton R, Riddle W, Naji S (2001) Improving adherence to antidepressant drug treatment in primary care: a feasibility study for a randomized controlled trial of educational intervention. Primary Care Psychiatry 7(2):61–67
Livingston G, Yard P, Beard A, Katona C (2000) A nurse-coordinated educational initiative addressing primary care professionals’ attitudes to and problem-solving in depression in older people – A pilot study. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry 15(5):401–405
Gunnell D, Lewis G (2005) Studying suicide from the life course perspective: implications for prevention. Br J Psychiatry 187:206–208
Wilkinson G (1994) Can suicide be prevented? Better treatment of mental illness is more appropriate aim. BMJ 309(6958):860–861
Goldstein RB, Black DW, Nasrallah A, Winokur G (1991) The prediction of suicide sensitivity, specificity, and predictive value of a multivariate model applied to suicide among 1906 patients with affective disorders. Arch Gen Psychiatry 48(5):418–422
Acknowledgements
Nord-Trøndelag Health Study (The HUNT Study) is a collaboration between HUNT Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU, Verdal), Norwegian Institute of Public Health, and Nord-Trøndelag County Council. The Norwegian Research Council supplied a research fellow grant to Ottar Bjerkeset, MD. This study was supported by grants from Dedichen’s legacy. We thank Bitte Dillan and Guri H. Kvarme for great help in organising the data collection and punching in the data. We also thank the GPs in Nord-Trøndelag that took part in the IDANT, and our colleagues Anne Engum, Kjell Granerud, and Steinar Krokstad for collecting the baseline forms from the non-responders. Novo Nordisk Ltd (Norway) and GlaxoSmithKline Ltd (Norway) supported the psychiatric educational programme prior to the HUNT Study.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Bjerkeset, O., Dahl, A.A., Stordal, E. et al. Feasibility of mental health screening and intervention in the HUNT population study. Soc Psychiat Epidemiol 41, 191–198 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-005-0018-y
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-005-0018-y