Developing a social perspective in mental health services in primary care

Firth, Miriam; Dyer, Mark; Marsden, Heidi; Savage, Declan

doi:10.1080/1356182031000122870

Cited by 6 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…This raises an important issue related to role definition, as referral guidelines (eg, Department of Health, 2001;Firth et al, 2003) suggest that issues of severity, complexity and risk are potential determinants of clients referred to PCMHWs. This raises an important issue related to role definition, as referral guidelines (eg, Department of Health, 2001;Firth et al, 2003) suggest that issues of severity, complexity and risk are potential determinants of clients referred to PCMHWs.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reflective voices: primary care mental health workers’ experiences in training and practice

Rizq

Hewey

Salvo

et al. 2009

Primary Health Care

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Background: The role of the primary care mental health worker (PCMHW) in providing self-help and signposting to people referred for mild-moderate anxiety and depression is currently being complemented by low-intensity workers training under the government's improving access to psychological therapies (IAPT) programme. Aim: This study aims to explore the experiences of five PCMHWs working in the context of a newly designed primary care mental health team in London. Methods: Thematic analysis of participants' written reflective papers provides a qualitative exploration of issues and concerns raised by PCMHWs during a fortnightly reflective practice group. Results: Themes emerging from participants' written accounts highlight: difficulties in applying academic and skills training to the real-life world of clinical practice; difficulties in managing issues of risk and complexity; role confusion; and the need for a visible and coherent career structure. Conclusions: The study highlights the psychological impact on PCMHWs of managing complex client referrals. This is discussed in the context of the high volume case turnover anticipated by IAPT training curricula. Implications for the training and education of IAPT low-intensity workers are briefly considered.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reflective voices: primary care mental health workers’ experiences in training and practice

Rizq

Hewey

Salvo

et al. 2009

Primary Health Care

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“…Social work services, specifically care coordination, in primary care settings has been shown to improve patient health and mental health outcomes among community dwelling older adults who may or may not require home-based care services (Firth, Dyer, Marsden, & Savage, 2003;Lorig et al 2001), as well as reduce acute care service use and primary care visits (Sommers, Marton, Barbaccia, & Randolf, 2000). While there is growing evidence that primary care physicians and nurses recognize that having social workers available to address psychosocial and environmental aspects of illnesses would enhance their practice (Golden & Iris, 2005;Rock & Cooper, 2000;Sommers et al, 2000), addressing providers' hesitations to integrating social workers is likely to be one of the greatest obstacles to developing more collaborative care models in primary care.…”

Section: Background and Significancementioning

confidence: 99%

Integrating Social Workers into Primary Care: Physician and Nurse Perceptions of Roles, Benefits, and Challenges

Keefe

Geron

Enguídanos

2009

Social Work in Health Care

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The primary aim of this article is to identify, from the perspective of primary care physicians and nurses, the challenges encountered in provision of health care to older adults and to identify potential roles, challenges, and benefits of integrating social workers into primary care teams. As more older adults live longer with multiple chronic conditions, primary care has been confronted with complex psychosocial problems that interact with medical problems pointing to a potential role for a social worker. From a policy perspective, the lack of strong evidence documenting the benefits that will accrue to patients and providers is a key barrier preventing the wider use of social workers in primary care. This article presents findings from three focus groups with primary care physicians and nurses to examine the perspectives of these key providers about the benefits and challenges of integrating social workers into the primary care team.

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“…Patients presenting with issues such as somatisation, depression and chronic stress are generally not seen in secondary mental healthcare (Firth et al . ), and research suggests they will continue to seek help from trusted primary care providers (Rock & Cooper ). However, primary care clinicians lack the time to provide preventive interventions and optimise chronic care (Allen et al .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Health benefits of primary care social work for adults with complex health and social needs: a systematic review

McGregor

Mercer

Harris

2016

Health Soc Care Community

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The prevalence of complex health and social needs in primary care patients is growing. Furthermore, recent research suggests that the impact of psychosocial distress on the significantly poorer health outcomes in this population may have been underestimated. The potential of social work in primary care settings has been extensively discussed in both health and social work literature and there is evidence that social work interventions in other settings are particularly effective in addressing psychosocial needs. However, the evidence base for specific improved health outcomes related to primary care social work is minimal. This review aimed to identify and synthesise the available evidence on the health benefits of social work interventions in primary care settings. Nine electronic databases were searched from 1990 to 2015 and seven primary research studies were retrieved. Due to the heterogeneity of studies, a narrative synthesis was conducted. Although there is no definitive evidence for effectiveness, results suggest a promising role for primary care social work interventions in improving health outcomes. These include subjective health measures and self‐management of long‐term conditions, reducing psychosocial morbidity and barriers to treatment and health maintenance. Although few rigorous study designs were found, the contextual detail and clinical settings of studies provide evidence of the practice applicability of social work intervention. Emerging policy on the integration of health and social care may provide an opportunity to develop this model of care.

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Developing a social perspective in mental health services in primary care

Cited by 6 publications

References 4 publications

Reflective voices: primary care mental health workers’ experiences in training and practice

Reflective voices: primary care mental health workers’ experiences in training and practice

Integrating Social Workers into Primary Care: Physician and Nurse Perceptions of Roles, Benefits, and Challenges

Health benefits of primary care social work for adults with complex health and social needs: a systematic review

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