Key result
Mental illness screening in hypertension care faces workload barriers but improves with training and collaboration.
Why the study?
Mental illness is a frequent comorbidity in hypertension, yet integration of mental health screening into hypertension care remains limited, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.
What are the barriers and facilitators experienced by healthcare providers when integrating mental illness screening and management into hypertension care?
Systematic Review (n=7)
What are the barriers and facilitators experienced by healthcare providers when integrating mental illness screening and management into hypertension care?
Integrating mental health screening into hypertension care is feasible but depends on organizational capacity, workforce support, and addressing barriers like heavy workloads and stigma.
May inform implementation strategies addressing workloads and stigma in hypertension care; extends qualitative evidence for context-specific integration models.
Mental illness is a frequent comorbidity in chronic diseases including hypertension, yet integration of mental health screening into hypertension care remains limited, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. This systematic review synthesizes qualitative evidence on healthcare providers' experiences of integrating mental illness screening and management into hypertension care. Qualitative studies published between 2010 and 2025 were identified through searches of PubMed, Scopus, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and Africa Wide Information. Out of 114 studies, 7 studies met the inclusion criteria, and their quality was rated using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) qualitative checklist. An inductive thematic synthesis was conducted, followed by deductive mapping using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. Key barriers included heavy workloads, stigma, limited training, and weak referral systems, while facilitators included training, collaboration, task-shifting, and community-based strategies. Findings highlight that integration is feasible but dependent on organizational capacity, workforce support, and how well it fits with local contexts. Overcoming these barriers and using the facilitators can improve the effectiveness and long-term success of integration efforts.
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Mayise et al. (2026) conducted a systematic review in Hypertension and mental illness (n=7). Integration of mental illness screening and management was evaluated on Healthcare providers' experiences (barriers and facilitators). Integrating mental illness screening into hypertension care faces barriers like heavy workloads and stigma, but is facilitated by training, collaboration, and task-shifting.
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