Effective methodology for mental health training of general practitioners

Aim: To undertake a review of general practitioner (GP) mental health training focusing on three teaching formats; lecture-based, skills-based, and multifaceted strategies. Methods: The databases of Medline, Educational Resources Information Centre, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, the Database of Abstacts of Reviews of Effectiveness were searched from the years 1980 to 2001. Search terms included general practice, family physician, family practice, mental disorders, quality of health care, professional education and combinations of these terms. Results: Lecture-based approaches combined with case discussion demonstrated improvements in GP performance. Improvements in patient outcomes were achieved using skills-based and multifaceted teaching strategies. Conclusion: More research into GP mental health training is necessary, as well as increased focus on better sampling of GPs, and measurement of GP and patient outcomes using standardized instruments.