In this episode, we talk to Dr Adam Geraghty, Associate Professor of Psychology and Behavioural Medicine within the School of Primary Care, Population Sciences and Medical Education at the University of Southampton.

Title of paper: Distinguishing emotional distress from mental disorder: A qualitative exploration of the Four-Dimensional Symptom Questionnaire (4DSQ)

Available at: https://doi.org/10.3399/BJGP.2023.0574

A range of different approaches have been suggested to support primary care clinicians in the identification and management of mental health problems, from brief depression questionnaires, to approaches focusing on shared understanding within consultations. The Four-Dimensional Symptom Questionnaire (4DSQ) is a questionnaire developed in primary care that can support this process by distinguishing general distress from depressive or anxiety disorder. In this study we show that people recruited from primary care and community settings find completing a multidimensional questionnaire acceptable and find the splitting of general (potentially severe) distress from depression and anxiety helpful. Use of the 4DSQ may support collaborative diagnostic conversations as part of primary care consultations.

In this episode, we’re going to recognise some exceptional researchers here in the UK. We talk to Dr Ben Bowers and Dr Steve Bradley, this year’s winners of the Royal College of GPs and Society for Academic Primary Care early career researcher award.

For more information about the award, see below two interviews with Ben and Steve on the RCGP website:

Dr Ben Bowers: https://www.rcgp.org.uk/Blog/SAPC-OECR-Awards-2024-Ben-Bowers

Dr Steve Bradley: https://www.rcgp.org.uk/Blog/SAPC-OECR-Awards-2024-Stephen-Bradley

Congratulations to Ben and Steve!

In this episode, we talk to Dr Erin Oldenhof, Research Coordinator and a benzodiazepine withdrawal counsellor at Reconnexion, a non-profit organisation that offers teratmenta nd support for insomnia, depression and anxiety. We’re also joined by Dr Petra Staiger, Associate Professor within the School of Psychology at Deakin University in Melbourne.

Title of paper: “Let’s talk about sleep health”: Patient perspectives on willingness to engage in psychological interventions for insomnia

Available at: https://doi.org/10.3399/BJGP.2023.0310

Psychological interventions for insomnia are recommended as the first-line treatment but remain underutilised in primary care settings relative to pharmacological treatments. Coupled with known harms regarding prolonged use of benzodiazepine receptor agonists (BZRAs) to manage insomnia, the need for increased uptake of psychological interventions is critical. This study explored the influence of key factors that motivate individuals’ intention to engage with psychological interventions, revealing the importance of active involvement of GPs in this process from the initial consultation through to supporting treatment adherence long-term. By understanding the consumer perspective in conjunction with the unique clinical expertise of GPs, we have offered guidance on how to enhance patient-practitioner collaboration across the entire treatment process and increase GP confidence to facilitate increased engagement with evidence-based psychological treatment modalities.