DeStress 2: Implementing effective primary care responses to poverty-related mental distress

In partnership with ARC North Thames, UCLPartners is supporting delivery of the DeStress 2 study: ‘Implementing effective primary care responses to poverty-related mental distress’

One of the outputs of the initial DeStress project was a set of training materials aiming to support GPs in their consultations with people from areas of economic disadvantage living with mental distress.

In DeStress 2 we are delivering the DeStress training to General Practices across diverse settings encompassing diverse poverty-affected populations and learning how to optimise its impact for patients and for GPs.

The research is being undertaken across three Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) regions in England; South West England (PenARC); North Thames (ARC NT); North West England (ARC NWC).

The study started in September 2021. After 18 months, all regions across England will be offered the optimised training resources.

The training

The training aims to change consultation culture away from ‘quick fix’ antidepressant prescribing towards a more scientifically robust personalised bio-psycho-social approach to providing support. Such an approach aims to:

• improve trust and engagement with low-income patients,
• foster shared decision-making with patients around treatment and support (including social interventions to address mental distress),
• co-create continuity in support,
• recognise and seek to build on personal strengths.

The one-hour DeStress training sessions are delivered by our training teams which comprise a GP and a community partner (someone with lived experience of poverty-related mental distress). The training is delivered in a way that endorses existing good practice and encourages team-based support for change.

For more information please contact: Ilse.Lee@uclpartners.com