Research
projects
diamond (Diagnosis, Management and Outcomes of Depression
in Primary Care - a longitudinal study)
Project Overview:
Depression is the single largest cause of disability for people in Australia.
It is mainly managed in general practice, yet many people experiencing
depression go unrecognised by their family doctor or general practitioner
(GP). Some people, even when given treatment, remain depressed. Guides
on how to manage depression have been mainly based upon people attending
psychiatrists and hospitals. In addition, there have been a number of
large studies overseas testing new ways of helping people with depression.
Unfortunately, they do not seem any better than usual care by a GP.
The diamond study will follow, over time, 900 people who receive care
in general practice to investigate the factors, from the patients' and
doctors' point of view, that are likely to aid recovery from depression,
and prevent further episodes. We will investigate in detail the way
in which a patient is cared for in the primary health care system. We
will be able to describe the care patients receive from both doctors
and other professionals, including alternative practitioners. This information
will be used to develop a new way to improve the care that GPs provide
to people experiencing depression. diamond will give us important information
about the impact of new Government policies on care in general practice.
This will help to inform health workers, consumers and policy makers
about what factors are key for treatment and recovery from depression.
Chief Investigators:
Prof Jane Gunn, Prof Helen Herrman, A/Prof Kelsey Hegarty, Dr Grant
Blashki, Prof Dimity Pond and A/Prof Michael Kyrios
Associate Investigators:
Dr Lena Sanci, Prof Andre Tylee, Dr David Pierce, Ms Donna Southern,
Ms Patty Chondros and Dr Jane Sims
Funding Sources:
NHMRC 2004-2007
NHMRC grant 2007-2009
Contact Details:
Ms Darshini Ayton
Department of General Practice
The University of Melbourne
200 Berkeley Street
Carlton
Victoria Australia 3053
Phone: + 61 3 8344 7449
Fax: + 61 3 9347 6136
Email: dayton@unimelb.edu.au
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Primary Care Evidence-Based Psychological Interventions (PEP)
Project Overview:
General practitioners (GPS) are at the frontline in managing common
mental illnesses, such as depression and anxiety in the community. This
is because GPs are seen as accessible and able to assess both the physical
and psychological symptoms of people who present with a possible mental
illness. GPs are also often perceived as a low stigma option for people
seeking out professional assistance. The PEP study provides an opportunity
to better understand which psychological interventions can be integrated
into general practice, how best to train GPs, whether patients benefit
in terms of objective clinical measures, how consumers and carers experience
care provided by their GPs and GPs interact with mental health specialists
and make appropriate referrals.
Working Group:
Dr Grant Blashki, Professor Jeff Richards, Professor Graham Meadows
and Ms Lisa Ciechomski.
Funding Source:
The beyondblue Victorian Centre of Excellence in Depression
and Related Disorders 2004-2006.
Further Information:
Please click here to
download PDF brochure [114k].
Contact Details:
Dr Grant Blashki MD MBBS FRACGP
Department of General Practice and Program Evaluation Unit
University of Melbourne
200 Berekeley St
Carlton 3053
Phone 8344 9010
Fax 9347 6136
Email gblashki@unimelb.edu.au
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RE-ORDER
Re-organising care for depression
and related disorders in the Australian primary health
care setting
Project Overview:
This project is aimed at re-examining the way in which people experiencing
depression are cared for in the community. This research aims to: apply
complexity theory and the model of the complex adaptive system to our
existing research data gathered from patients and practitioners, in
order to identify the minimum specifications for effective primary mental
health care; and put these minimum specifications into practice, and
monitor the impact on patient and practice outcomes. It is hypothesised
that recovery from depression can be improved by a primary mental health
care system that is based on minimum specifications and is facilitated
to function as a complex adaptive system.
Methods:
We plan to synthesise data from our current projects and use complexity
theory to tease out the essential elements for an effective primary
mental health care system. Our research
program consists of four stages and is based upon a proactive evaluation
framework, designed to inform decision making about policies and programs
when there is a need for a major review.
Investigators:
- Professor Jane Gunn, Department of General Practice, The University
of Melbourne
- Associate Professor Kelsey Hegarty, Department of General Practice,
The University of Melbourne
- Associate Professor Rosalind Hurworth, Department of Educational
Policy and Management, The University of Melbourne
- Dr Gail Gilchrist, Department of General Practice, The University
of Melbourne
- Dr David Pierce, Department of General Practice, The University
of Melbourne
- Dr Frances Griffiths, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick
- Dr Grant Blashki, Department of General Practice, The University
of Melbourne
- Dr Kathy Griffiths, Centre for Mental Health Research, The Australian
National University
- Professor Christopher Dowrick, School of Population, Community
and Behavioural Sciences, The University of Liverpool
- Professor Dimity Pond, Discipline of General Practice, The University
of Newcastle
- Professor Michael Kyrios, Faculty of Life and Social Sciences, Swinburne
University
- Professor Helen Herrman, Australian International Health Institute,
The University of Melbourne.
- Ms Cathrine Mihalopoulos, Program Evaluation Unit, School of Population
Health, The University of Melbourne
Funding Source:
The Australian Primary Health Care Research Institute 2005-2008
Project Launch:
The re-order project was launched by Professor Nicholas Glasgow, the
Director of Australian Primary Health Care Research Institute (APHCRI)
and Professor Jane Gunn on Tuesday 7 February, 2006.
The Launch was attended by a number of stakeholders, including representatives
of beyondblue, Australian Primary Health Care Research Institute (APCHRI),
VicHealth, Victorian Foundation for Survivors of Torture, Victorian
Transcultural Psychiatry Unit, General Practice Divisions Victoria,
Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP),
Victorian Department of Human Services, Primary Mental Health teams,
Community Health Centre teams, Australian Psychological Society (APS),
The University of Melbourne, Monash University, La Trobe University
and many others. To see photos from the Launch, see re-order website
(address below).
Contact Details:
Ms Maria Potiriadis
Department of General Practice
The University of Melbourne
200 Berkeley Street
Carlton
Victoria, Australia 3053
Phone: + 61 3 8344 9719
Fax: + 61 3 9347 6136
Email: m.potiriadis@unimelb.edu.au
Web: www.reorder.unimelb.edu.au
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