PrimeDep - Primary Care Mental Health Sustained Capacity-Building for Depression and Suicidal Behaviour

Summary:

A core feature of the national strategy for improving mental health (MH) and preventing suicide is to enhance the primary health care (PC) capacity in diagnosing and treating depression and assessssing and managing the risk of suicide. The aim of PrimeDep is to respond to the existing need, in Portugal, of new initiatives in the prevention of mental ill-health and suicide through the implementation of a large-scale transfer of knowledge within the context of MH care delivery in PC. The aim will be achieved through the application of evidence-based principles, methods and materials, through training activities organized in a cascade mode (train the trainers) with four levels of increasing intensity, and using technological innovation. Several thousand PC professionals, 40 000 patients and a population of 2 million people in the intervention areas, users of 4 health regions and 12-16 groups of PC units, will potentially benefit from the project. The PrimeDep project will deliver the the following products throughout its duration: 1) a report on barriers for MH in PC; 2) training of 12 MH professionals Lead Trainers, 4300 PC trained professionals (900 Depression Experts); 3) a website to strengthen public awareness about depression and suicide risk; 4) an e-learning training resource; 5) a clinical mobile app; and 6) four peer-review papers on the outcomes of the various interventions of the project. NSSF, the Norwegian donor country partner will assist scientific coordination, provide expert advice and assist with the training of Lead Trainers. Other partnerships will guarantee the presence of PC professionals, technological resources and contents and monitoring.