Exploring prioritising of symptoms in GP consultations
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Understanding how physical and psychological symptoms are prioritised in the GP consultation
IRAS ID
237902
Contact name
Maria C Barnes
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Bristol
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 31 days
Research summary
Most of the research into common mental health problems in UK primary care has focussed on depression. There is little empirical evidence on anxiety disorders. It is likely that anxiety is under-detected and under-treated with reported prevalence as high as 14% with less than a third estimated as receiving treatment.
Anxiety is often associated with physical morbidity and other psychiatric morbidity and the apparent under-detection of anxiety may be a consequence of this. Whilst there is a body of literature on how and what conditions are prioritised in primary care, there has not been an investigation into how GPs generally prioritise between physical and psychological aspects of the consultation. Many patients present with co-morbidity and mental health conditions in what can be a complex consultation. How do GPs and patients talk about and prioritise anxiety in the consultation?
We will examine the barriers and facilitators to identification of anxieties from both the service and patient perspective. There are many possible barriers to identification, including patients’ symptom attributions, co-morbidity, and doctors’ and patients’ beliefs about labelling, the importance of, and treatments for anxiety. GP consultations with patients who have anxieties will be video-taped. Semi-structured interviews will be used to elicit GPs’ and patients’ views on the usefulness of diagnosing anxiety, and treatment options, together with patients’ and GPs’ views of the usefulness of a short questionnaire for helping to identify anxiety (the GAD-7) within the context of a primary care consultation. Information on treatments (medication/referral to psychological therapy) will be recorded (with consent) from GP notes after the consultation.
REC name
Yorkshire & The Humber - Sheffield Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/YH/0430
Date of REC Opinion
26 Jan 2018
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion