Patient reported self-help strategies and the perceived benefits for managing sub-threshold depressive symptoms: A nested qualitative study of Australian primary care attendees

Abstract

Background: Subthreshold depression is common in primary care, but there is little information about the self-help strategies that patients use and the perceived benefits of these. Aim: This study sought to elicit the self-help strategies that primary care attendees identified as beneficial for the self-management of subthreshold depressive symptoms and the implications for general practitioners. Method: Semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with 14 people (April–May 2017) from the Target-D randomised controlled trial (RCT). Target-D investigated whether using a patient-centred clinical prediction tool and an e-health platform to match mental health management options to progno..