British Journal of General Practice, July 1998 1383 Original papers

Background. Primary care teams have been encouraged to develop the care they provide to patients with mental health problems, and a greater role for practice nurses has been advocated. However, little is known about practice nurses ’ cur-rent level of involvement or their perceived strengths and limita-tions in caring for patients ’ mental health problems. Aim. To describe practice nurses ’ current experiences of caring for patients with mental health problems and to explore their perceptions about enlarging this role. Method. Pilot interviews were carried out with a purposeful sample of practice nurses to design a postal questionnaire, which was then sent to 635 practice nurses identified from fami-ly health services authority lists in six health authorities in the north-east of England. Results. Completed questionnaires were returned by 445 (70%) practice nurses. Most nurses (83%) reported that they commonly saw patients with a range of mental health problems arising indirectly or directly in consultations. Many practice nurses (52%) lacked any formal mental health training and identified a broad range of training needs. A majority (80%) of responders had concerns about their abilities to address mental health problems effectively, given their existing workloads. However, most (61%) were keen to expand their role in mental health care if appropriate support and training were forthcom-ing. Conclusion. There is considerable potential for practice nurses to realize a greater and more effective role in the care of mental health problems in primary care. Developing practice nurses’ contribution will require further training and support