Implementing effective primary care responses to poverty-related mental distress (DeStress-II)

Poor access and over-medicalisation of social issues mean mental health provision frequently reinforces health inequalities. Antidepressants can be helpful, but can have side effects and limit personal agency. Communities and GPs remain conflicted about how to respond to poverty-related distress.

DeStress training aims to change consultation culture away from ‘quick fix’ antidepressant prescribing towards a more scientifically robust personalised bio-psycho-social approach to providing support.

We delivered DeStress training to General Practices across diverse settings in three ARC regions encompassing poverty-affected populations, learning how to optimise its impact for patients and GPs. We aimed to understand how best to deliver DeStress training across diverse practice/place-based settings.

Findings informed training materials optimising DeStress delivery that was submitted for RCGP accreditation.

A webinar in September 2023 disseminated the findings, and an information session was held for ~100 attendees from a Hampshire ICS.

Study community partners made a film about their experiences of being involved. 

UCL Partners