By interviewing General Practitioners (GPs) across the UK, we identified ways to support people with depression sooner.

These include longer appointments, wider use of mental health practitioners and social prescribers in general practice, and better coordination of diagnosis and care.

Identifying challenges

We interviewed 10 GPs across Scotland, North East England and Northern Ireland. We explored the practical challenges they face when diagnosing depression.

We identified three main themes:

The complexity of depressive symptoms. GPs often find it difficult to distinguish depression from emotional distress. Diagnosis can be even harder when people report physical symptoms rather than emotional ones. Symptoms can also vary by gender, ethnicity and the presence of other health conditions.

Pressures on primary care. GPs face short appointment times, limited access to talking therapies, and long waits for mental health referrals. These pressures can make diagnosis and treatment more difficult.

The value of the patient-GP relationship. GPs said continuity of care helps them build trust with patients. It also helps them spot subtle changes in mood that might otherwise go unnoticed. This can lead to earlier recognition of depressive symptoms.

More about this research

This study forms part of a PhD project that explored the perspectives of psychiatrists, patients and GPs on depression diagnosis. The project also assessed the accuracy of depression assessment tools. The lead author plans to publish these findings after completing their thesis and viva. The PhD studentship is jointly funded by three NIHR infrastructures: our HealthTech Research Centre, the Newcastle Biomedical Research Centre, and the Applied Research Collaboration for the North East and North Cumbria. Collaborators also include Keele University and the Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust.

Learning from our approach

The lead author shadowed GP clinics before developing the interview schedule. This provided valuable insight and helped shape more detailed interview questions. We also presented the project to our Insight Panel for Patients, Public and Carers before collecting data. Their feedback helped inform the study design.

However, we did not ask the panel to review the interview schedule. In hindsight, this would have provided a valuable perspective from outside the research team. We addressed this in our follow-on study exploring patients’ experiences of depression diagnosis. Public contributors helped shape the project from the start and remained involved throughout. They reviewed the interview schedule and patient materials, and took part in a mock interview to test the approach.

Why is this work important?

Depression affects around one in six people in the UK and can have a major impact on daily life. Mental ill health also costs the UK economy around £300 billion each year. Our findings highlight opportunities to make diagnosis, referral, follow-up and treatment faster, clearer and more consistent. Improving these processes could help the NHS deliver better care and use resources more effectively.

Find out more about the research

[Photography by Cedric Fauntleroy on Pexels]