• To learn about the stepped care model of treatment
• To understand the evidence base for the stepped care model
• To develop ideas for how you could implement stepped care in your practice
This article describes and considers the stepped care model of interventions and its use in primary care in treating depression as a long-term condition. Evidence suggests stepped care can be beneficial if appropriate support is available to services, and the article explores how the model can be used to achieve the best outcomes for patients. It examines potential barriers to providing stepped care in practice and how these barriers can be overcome to develop services, particularly those involving mental health in primary care. It also proposes that stepped care, when embedded in a primary care multidisciplinary team, can improve patient outcomes and sustainably and cost-effectively manage limited mental health resources.
Primary Health Care. 31, 2, 30-34. doi: 10.7748/phc.2020.e1685
Peer reviewThis article has been subject to external double-blind peer review and has been checked for plagiarism using automated software
Correspondence Conflict of interestNone declared
McIntosh S (2020) Stepped care model and depression in primary care. Primary Health Care. doi: 10.7748/phc.2020.e1685
Published online: 09 December 2020
Keywords :
community - depression - general practice - management - mental health - mental health therapies - mental health service users - patients - person-centred care - personalisation - primary care - self-care - service development - service improvement - service redesign - therapeutic relationships
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