The following is a summary of “Structured communication methods for mental health consultations in primary care: a scoping review,” published in the September 2023 issue of Primary Care by Mosler et al.

Primary care is the main key to mental health care, and structured communication interventions have been effective in other settings.

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to identify structured communication tools and interventions for mental health consultations in primary care and their effectiveness for mental health and quality of life outcomes.

They included quantitative and qualitative studies meeting the following criteria: staff working in a primary care setting and the intervention featuring bi-directional communication with adult patients. A comprehensive search encompassed 6 databases (MEDLINE, Web of Knowledge, EMBASE, PsycINFO, The Cochrane Library, CINAHL) without time restrictions. Search terms incorporated four key concepts, including “structured,” “interaction,” “mental illness,” and “primary care.” Reference lists of eligible studies underwent examination.

The results showed after the removal of duplicates, 3,578 records underwent further screening, and 16 records were eligible, representing 8 distinct interventions from 5 countries. Primary care doctors delivered tailored interventions for psychological distress. Commonalities among the interventions included broad patient populations, self-report assessments at the outset, actions or plans as endpoints, and utilizing group settings and didactic training methods for staff. Only one intervention offered supervision, and none provided booster or follow-up training. Three out of 5 RCTs positively affected mental health and quality of life outcomes.

They concluded that structured communication interventions for mental health consultations in primary care are feasible and acceptable and warrant further development and testing.

Source: bmcprimcare.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12875-023-02129-y