The Psychology Centre

Halliday, T. J. (2007). Screening in primary care mental health: Enhancing the accuracy of case recognition. Paper presented at the annual conference of the New Zealand Psychological Society, Hamilton, New Zealand.

The focus of this presentation is on the use of the GHQ-12 within two primary care practices in order to explore case selection, and referral decisions made by general practitioners.from two pilot sites will be presented within the context of previous research conducted in New Zealand and Australia. Results from the current study found that a number of clients presenting with mental health difficulties were identified by the GHQ-12, but not by general practitioners. Of those that were recognised, few were referred on to specialist health care providers. These findings will also be considered in relation to a larger project whichclinical outcomes of brief primary care interventions. The discussion and recommendations focus on outlining a role for psychologists in enhancing screening and referral accuracy, enhancing appropriate access to specialist services where necessary, and identifying those individuals whose needs may be better met within the primary care environment.