Integrating physical and mental health within IAPT: A long-term condition service

Abstract

Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) services were set up in 2008 as part of primary care to support patients with common mental health difficulties, including anxiety and depression. Practitioners within IAPT deliver evidence based psychological therapies including cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT). IAPT services have recently expanded to support people with long-term conditions (LTC), including diabetes, respiratory and cardiac disease, and medically unexplained symptoms (MUS). Current guidance states that LTC-IAPT services should be developed alongside existing health care services, with clear arrangements for joint working with physical health teams (National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health, 2018). ‘Time to Talk Health’ is an LTC-IAPT service within Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust that offers a service model requiring staff to engage in three hours of consultation with physical health care teams each week. The nature of the consultation work undertaken with physical health care professionals and their patients is explored within the current article. There is a need for future research to evaluate the effectiveness of this collaborative working in relation to outcomes for both health care professionals and patients.