Table 1.Characteristics of Included Studies

Table 1.Characteristics of included studies.

Reference Participants Aim Setting and sample selection Methods of collecting clinician data &

(RR) research perspective (quality assessment) qualitative studies 36 32 GPs Identify issues of importance 28 GP practices in and around semi-structured interviews; grounded theory

(RR 24%) to GPs in depression Southampton (plus 2 GPs in

management Leicester) (10/10) 33 18 GPs, 7 PNs Identify perceptions of 18 South London primary care in-depth, semi-structured interviews;

depression older people teams in 5 Boroughs, purposive grounded theory

sampling based on setting

(socioeconomic/ethnic groups

served) and practice type (9/10) 34 9 GPs, 3 PNs Explore how primary care 1 PCT in NW England, semi-structured interviews; constant

professionals and patients purposive sampling, but criteria comparison

view late-life depression not stated

(7/10) 30 20 GPs Explore GPs’ experience of 11 practices from a ‘random’ semi-structured interviews; critical realist

recognizing and managing sample of 55 in Scotland – 4 perspective

depression NHS board areas (5/10) 39 19 GPs Investigate GP views on 8 West Midland practices – semi-structured interviews

consultation time and purposeful selection based on

depression management. socioeconomic/ geographical

setting and patient list size (8/10) 32 35 GPs- in Explore GP attitudes to the 22 inner city GPs vs 13 suburban semi-structured interviews; constant

teaching management of depression in and semi-rural GPs in NW comparative qualitative analysis

practices deprived vs affluent England, purposive sampling

(RR ~ 66%) populations based on practice size (9/10) 31 10 GPs Explore GPs’ views on 8 practices in Greater in-depth, semi-structured interviews

depression management Manchester (inner city/

suburban) (5/10) quantitative studies 40 17 GPs Explore associations between 6 GP practices in Southampton questionnaire (devised for this study) ratings

GP treatment, depression (9 practices approached) of patient characteristics and GP treatment severity and patient decisions completed following consultation

characteristics (3/7) 41 4 GPs – 3 Compare GPs and male 1 practice in a prosperous rural questionnaire (devised for this study),

principals, 1 patients’ assessments of area of Cheshire completed following consultation

assistant depression (3/7) 42 442 PNs Assess PNs’ knowledge, 1 in 2 sample of Scottish general questionnaire - DAQ plus some questions

(RR 56.2%) attitudes, training and practices (428 Practices) developed for this study, postal survey

management of depressed

patients (5/7) 45 202 GPs Compare expectations of GP practices ‘across the UK’ questionnaire – devised for this study by a

(RR 50%) GPs and patients in the market research company, postal request sent

management of relapse of with link to online questionnaire

depression (2/7) 44 274 GPs Describe GPs beliefs about All GPs in Lambeth, Southwark Likert scale questionnaire – (devised for this

their management of and Lewisham Health Authority study, but piloted on 15 GPs)

depression. (inner city) (4/7) 35 61 GPs Assess the attitudes of GPs Inner city GP surgeries in questionnaire (DAQ) - postal survey (RR 60%) towards depression Lambeth (group & single-

handed), ‘randomly’ selected (2/7) 43 1703 GPs Survey GPs’ perception of 11 health authorities – 1 from questionnaire – devised for study, piloted on

(RR 48%) the availability/quality of each English region, and 1 each 131 GPs; postal survey

primary care and from N.Ireland, Wales and

community-based services Scotland. Urban, rural, deprived

for depressed people. and privileged

Identify barriers to provision

of services (4/7) 46 263 GPs Examine the attitudes and All 116 practices in Nottingham postal survey (adapted for study from

(RR 72%) practice of GPs in managing Health Authority previous research) - responses to attitude

late-life depression. statements and clinical vignettes

(4/7) 38 40 GPs Test hypotheses that practices in Liverpool and questionnaire (DAQ), prescribing

measures of GPs’ confidence Manchester information, Likert scale depression ratings

in identifying depression predict ability to identify

depression and that GPs who

prefer antidepressants

prescribe more than those

who prefer psychotherapy

(3/7) 37 31 GPs, 24 Assess acceptability and 14 practices in West Essex, East vignettes and questionnaire (adapted DAQ for

PNs feasibility of an educational Hertfordshire, Redbridge older people) (baseline data only used in

(RR 12% of package concerning synthesis)

practices management of depression

approached) in old age (4/7) All information was not available for each study. RR = response rate; DAQ = depression attitude questionnaire[65]; (quality assessment score:

higher score = higher quality, qualitative studies scores out of 10 on CASP checklist[19];quantitative studies scores out of 7 on scale devised for

this study (Appendix 2))