Which GP deals better with depressed patients in primary care in Kastamonu, Turkey: the impacts of 'interest in psychiatry' and 'continuous medical education'.

Abstract

Little is known about the reasons behind Turkish GPs' limited ability to diagnose and treat major depression. The aim of this preliminary study is to evaluate the impact of a GP's level of interest in psychiatry and participation in previous continuous medical education (CME) on their ability to recognize and treat major depression. Thirty-eight GPs from an underdeveloped city in Turkey participated in the study. A survey consisting of questions about their demographic characteristics, self-reported capacity for recognition and antidepressant management of depression, presence of previous CMEs and self-ratings of their interest in psychiatry was given to all GPs. Comparisons were made using hierarchical multiple regression analyses and SPSS software. Almost half of the GPs had participated previously in at least one CME course on depression, and these were significantly more involved with the treatment of depressed patients (P = 0.02). Hierarchical multiple regression analysis indicated that 'interest in psychiatry' was an important factor in predicting the GPs' confidence in recognizing and treating depression even after controlling for other variables such as age, gender (P = 0.01) and participation in previous CME (P = 0.05). Our findings suggest that personal characteristics, including a GP's interest in psychiatry, should be considered when planning education and other interventions to improve the detection and treatment of depression in primary care.