How could depression guidelines be made more relevant and applicable to primary care? A quantitative and qualitative review of national guidelines

Abstract

Background: Many guidelines have been developed in the area of depression but there has been no systematic assessment of their relevance to general practice. Aim: To assess national guidelines on general practice management of depression using two complementary approaches to identify specific ways in which guidance could be made more relevant and applicable to the nature of general practice and the patients who seek help in this context. Design of study: Review of national guidelines. Setting: Seven English speaking countries: UK, US, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Canada, and Singapore. Method: Seven guidelines were independently reviewed quantitatively using the Appraisal of Guidelines f..