Approaches to Integrate Mental Health Services in Primary Care: A Scoping Review of System-Level Barriers and Enablers to Implementation

Publication: Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health
24 November 2023

Abstract

Collaborative care models offer an evidence-based approach to address mental health in primary care, yet in Canada its implementation seldom conforms to evidence-based practice. Therefore, we conducted a scoping review to address the question: What are the system-level barriers and enablers to implementing collaborative care models to integrate mental health services in primary care? Inclusion criteria comprised peer-reviewed studies published from 1990–2020. We utilized an implementation science framework to inform our analysis. Our themes included funding; health practitioner workforce/training; and relationships with initiatives, organizations, and communities. This review informs the scaling of collaborative care initiatives that integrate mental health services into primary care.

Résumé

Les modèles de soins collaboratifs constituent des approches fondées sur des données probantes permettant de poser la question de la santé mentale dans les soins de santé primaire. Cependant, au Canada, leur mise en oeuvre est rarement en conformité avec les pratiques reposant sur les données probantes. C’est pourquoi nous avons effectué un examen de la portée pour répondre à la question : « Quels sont les niveaux de barrières du système et les solutions pour implanter les modèles de soins collaboratifs en vue d’intégrer la santé mentale dans les soins de santé de première ligne ? » Les critères d’inclusion comprenaient les études évaluées par les pairs entre 1990 et 2020. Nous avons utilisé un cadre d’implantation scientifique pour soutenir notre analyse. Nos thèmes comprenaient le financement, la formation et les effectifs des professionnels de la santé, ainsi que les liens avec les projets, les organisations et les communautés. Cet examen fait état des différents niveaux d’initiatives de soins collaboratifs qui intègrent la santé mentale aux soins de première ligne.

Get full access to this article

View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.

References

Abel W. D., Richards-Henry M., Wright E. G., and Eldemire-Shearer D. 2011 Integrating mental health into primary care an integrative collaborative primary care model—The Jamaican experience The West Indian Medical Journal 60 4 483 -489
Archer J., Bower P., Gilbody S., Lovell K., Richards D., Gask L., Dickens C., & Coventry P. (2012). Collaborative care for depression and anxiety problems. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (Online), 10([Archer] School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.), CD006525.
Arksey H. and O’Malley L. 2005 Scoping studies: Towards a methodological framework International Journal of Social Research Methodology 8 1 19 -32
Bhana A., Petersen I., Baillie K. L., Flisher A. J., and The MHaPP Research Programme Consor 2010 Implementing the World Health Report 2001 recommendations for integrating mental health into primary health care: A situation analysis of three African countries: Ghana, South Africa and Uganda International Review of Psychiatry 22 6 599 -610
Blasinsky M., Goldman H. H., and Unützer J. 2006 Project IMPACT: A report on barriers and facilitators to sustainability Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research 33 6 718 -729
Bourgeault I. L. and Mulvale G. 2006 Collaborative health care teams in Canada and the USA: Confronting the structural embeddedness of medical dominance Health Sociology Review 15 5 481 -495
Canadian Institute for Health Information. (2021). Shared Health Priorities. https://www.cihi.ca/en/shared-health-priorities
Canadian Mental Health Association. (2018). Mental health in the balance: Ending the health care disparity in Canada. https://cmha.ca/ending-health-care-disparitycanada
Crowley R. A., Kirschner N., and Health and Public Policy Committee of the American College of Physicians 2015 The integration of care for mental health, substance abuse, and other behavioral health conditions into primary care: Executive summary of an American College of Physicians position paper Annals of Internal Medicine 163 4 298 -299 https://doi.org/10.7326/M15-0510
Curran G. M., Sullivan G., Mendel P., Craske M. G., Sherbourne C. D., Stein M. B., McDaniel A., and Roy-Byrne P. 2012 Implementation of the CALM intervention for anxiety disorders: A qualitative study Implementation Science: IS 7 1 -11
Damschroder L. J., Aron D. C., Keith R. E., Kirsh S. R., Alexander J. A., and Lowery J. C. 2009 Fostering implementation of health services research findings into practice: A consolidated framework for advancing implementation science Implementation Science: IS 4 50 https://doi.org/10.1186/1748-5908-4-50
Dickinson, H., & Ham, C. (2008). Engaging doctors in leadership: Review of the literature (p. 56). University of Birmingham. https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/Documents/college-social-sciences/social-policy/HSMC/research/leadership-literature-review.pdf
Dillon-Naftolin E., Margret C. P., Russell D., French W. P., Hilt R. J., and Sarvet B. 2017 Implementing integrated care in pediatric mental health: Principles, current models, and future directions Focus: Journal of Life Long Learning in Psychiatry 15 3 249 -256
Durbin A., Durbin J., Hensel J. M., and Deber R. 2016 Barriers and enablers to integrating mental health into primary care: A policy analysis The Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research 43 1 127 -139
Eghaneyan B. H., Sanchez K., and Mitschke D. B. 2014 Implementation of a collaborative care model for the treatment of depression and anxiety in a community health center: Results from a qualitative case study Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare 7 503 -513
Farb H., Sacca K., Variano M., Gentry L., Relle M., and Bertrand J. 2018 Provider and staff perceptions and experiences implementing behavioral health integration in six low-income health care organizations The Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research 45 1 143 -155
Fleury M.-J., Grenier G., Vallée C., Aubé D., Farand L., Bamvita J.-M., and Cyr G. 2016 Implementation of the Quebec mental health reform (2005–2015) BMC Health Services Research 16 1 586
Fong H., Tamene M., Morley D. S., Morris A., Estela M. G., Singerman A., and Bair-Merritt M. H. 2019 Perceptions of the implementation of pediatric behavioral health integration in 3 community health centers Clinical Pediatrics 58 11–12 1201 -1211
Government of Ontario. (2020). Roadmap to wellness: A plan to build Ontario’s mental health and addictions system. Ontario. Ca. http://www.ontario.ca/page/roadmap-wellness-plan-build-ontarios-mental-health-and-addictions-system
Grazier K. L., Smiley M. L., and Bondalapati K. S. 2016 Overcoming barriers to integrating behavioral health and primary care services Journal of Primary Care & Community Health 7 4 242 -248
Grazier K. L., Smith J. E., Song J., and Smiley M. L. 2014 Integration of depression and primary care: Barriers to adoption Journal of Primary Care & Community Health 5 1 67 -73
Hanlon C., Luitel N.P., Kathree T., Murhar V., Shrivasta S., Medhin G., Ssebunnya J., Fekadu A., Shidhaye R., Petersen I., Jordans M., Kigozi F., Thornicroft G., Patel V., Tomlinson M., Lund C., Breuer E., De Silva M., and Prince M. 2014 Challenges and opportunities for implementing integrated mental health care: A district level situation analysis from five low- and middle-income countries PLoS ONE 9 2 e88437 https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0088437
Henderson J., Javanparast S., Baum F., Freeman T., Fuller J., Ziersch A., and Mackean T. 2019 Interagency collaboration in primary mental health care: Lessons from the Partners in Recovery program International Journal of Mental Health Systems 13 1 37
James S. L. and Abate D. 2018 Global, regional, and national incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability for 354 diseases and injuries for 195 countries and territories, 1990–2017: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017 The Lancet https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(18)32279-7/fulltext
Jameson J. P. and Blank M. B. 2010 Diagnosis and treatment of depression and anxiety in rural and nonrural primary care: National survey results Psychiatric Services 61 6 624 -627
Jeffries, V., Slaunwhite, A., Wallace, N., Menear, M., Arndt, J., Dotchin, J., GermAnn, K., & Sapergia, S. (2013). Collaborative care for mental health and substances use issues in primary health care: Overview of reviews and narrative summaries. https://www.mentalhealthcommission.ca/sites/default/files/PrimaryCare_Overview_Reviews_Narrative_Summaries_ENG_0.pdf
Kates N. 2017 Mental health and primary care: Contributing to mental health system transformation in Canada Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health 36 4 33 -67
Kates N., Arroll B., Currie E., Hanlon C., Gask L., Klasen H., Meadows G., Rukundo G., Sunderji N., Ruud T., and Williams M. 2019 Improving collaboration between primary care and mental health services The World Journal of Biological Psychiatry 20 10 748 -765 https://doi.org/10.1080/15622975.2018.1471218
Kates N., Craven M., Bishop J., Clinton T., Kraftcheck D., LeClair K., Leverette J., Nash L., and Turner T. 1997 Shared mental health care in Canada Canadian Journal of Psychiatry. Revue Canadienne de Psychiatrie 42 8 suppl-pp
Kates N., McPherson-Doe C., and George L. 2011 Integrating mental health services within primary care settings: The Hamilton Family Health Team The Journal of Ambulatory Care Management 34 2 174 -182 https://doi.org/10.1097/JAC.0b013e31820f6435
Kates N., Sunderji N., Ng V., Patriquin M., Alloo J., Mirwaldt P., and Siddiqui S. 2023 Collaborative mental health care in Canada: Challenges, opportunities and new directions The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry 07067437221102201
Kathol R. G., Butler M., McAlpine D. D., and Kane R. L. 2010 Barriers to physical and mental condition integrated service delivery Psychosomatic Medicine 72 6 511 -518 https://doi.org/10.1097/PSY.0b013e3181e2c4a0
Katon W., Unützer J., Wells K., and Jones L. 2010 Collaborative depression care: History, evolution and ways to enhance dissemination and sustainability General Hospital Psychiatry 32 456 -464
Katzelnick D. J. and Williams M. D. 2015 Large-scale dissemination of collaborative care and implications for psychiatry Psychiatric Services 66 9 904 -906
Kroening-Roché J., Hall J. D., Cameron D. C., Rowland R., and Cohen D. J. 2017 Integrating behavioral health under an ACO global budget: Barriers and progress in Oregon The American Journal of Managed Care 23 9 e303 -e309
Kroenke K. and Unutzer J. 2017 Closing the false divide: Sustainable approaches to integrating mental health services into primary care Journal of General Internal Medicine 32 4 404 -410 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-016-3967-9
Kurdyak P., Zaheer J., Cheng J., Rudoler D., and Mulsant B. H. 2017 Changes in characteristics and practice patterns of Ontario psychiatrists: Implications for access to psychiatrists The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry 62 1 40 -47
Machado R. J. and Tomlinson V. 2011 Bridging the gap between primary care and mental health Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services 49 11 24 -29 quiz 44
Malko A. and Huckfeldt V. 2017 Physician shortage in Canada: A review of contributing factors Global Journal of Health Science 9 9 68
Miller C. J., Grogan-Kaylor A., Perron B. E., Kilbourne A. M., Woltmann E., and Bauer M. S. 2013 Collaborative chronic care models for mental health conditions: Cumulative meta-analysis and meta-regression to guide future research and implementation Medical Care 51 10 922 -930
Mugisha J., Ssebunnya J., and Kigozi F. N. 2016 Towards understanding governance issues in integration of mental health into primary health care in Uganda International Journal of Mental Health Systems 10 1 25
Mulvale G. and Bourgeault I. L. 2007 Finding the right mix: How do contextual factors affect collaborative mental health care in Ontario? Canadian Public Policy 33 Supplement 1 S49 -S64
Mulvale G., Danner U., and Pasic D. 2009 Advancing community-based collaborative mental health care through interdisciplinary family health teams in Ontario Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health 27 2 55 -73
Nilsen P. 2015 Making sense of implementation theories, models and frameworks Implementation Science 10 1 53 https://doi.org/10.1186/s13012-015-0242-0
O’Donnell A. N., Williams M., and Kilbourne A. M. 2013 Overcoming roadblocks: Current and emerging reimbursement strategies for integrated mental health services in primary care Journal of General Internal Medicine 28 12 1667 -1672 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-013-2496-z
Ontario Psychiatric Association. (2018). Ontario needs psychiatrists: Chronic psychiatry shortage contributing to Canada’s mental health crisis. https://www.eopa.ca/sites/default/uploads/files/Ontario%20Needs%20Psychiatrists%20FINAL%20-%20August%207%2C%202018.pdf
Price-Haywood E. G., Dunn-Lombard D., Harden-Barrios J., and Lefante J. J. 2016 Collaborative depression care in a safety net medical home: Facilitators and barriers to quality improvement Population Health Management 19 1 46 -55 https://doi.org/10.1089/pop.2015.0016
Rathod S., Pinninti N., Irfan M., Gorczynski P., Rathod P., Gega L., and Naeem F. 2017 Mental health service provision in low- and middle-income countries Health Services Insights 10 1178632917694350
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. (2020). Psychiatry competencies. file:///Users/danemv/Downloads/psychiatry-competencies-e%20(4).pdf
Rudoler D., de Oliveira C., Zaheer J., and Kurdyak P. 2019 Closed for business? Using a mixture model to explore the supply of psychiatric care for new patients The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry 64 8 568 -576
Safaeinili N., Brown-Johnson C., Shaw J. G., Mahoney M., and Winget M. 2019 CFIR simplified: Pragmatic application of and adaptations to the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) for evaluation of a patient-centered care transformation within a learning health system Learning Health Systems 4 1 e10201
Sanchez K. 2017 Collaborative care in real-world settings: Barriers and opportunities for sustainability Patient Preference and Adherence 11 71 -74
Sanchez K., Thompson S., and Alexander L. 2010 Current strategies and barriers in integrated health care: A survey of publicly funded providers in Texas General Hospital Psychiatry 32 1 26 -32
Steele L. S., Durbin A., Lin E., Charles Victor J., Klein-Geltink J., Glazier R. H., Zagorski B., and Kopp A. 2014 Primary care reform and service use by people with serious mental illness in Ontario Healthcare Policy 10 1 31 -45
Storholm E. D., Ober A. J., Hunter S. B., Becker K. M., Iyiewuare P. O., Pham C., and Watkins K. E. 2017 Barriers to integrating the continuum of care for opioid and alcohol use disorders in primary care: A qualitative longitudinal study Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment 83 45 -54
Sunderji, N., Ghavam-Rassoul, A., Ion, A., & Lin, E. (2016). Driving improvements in the implementation of collaborative mental health care: A quality framework to guide measurement, improvement and research. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/312539646_Driving_Improvements_in_the_Implementation_of_Collaborative_Mental_Health_Care_A_Quality_Framework_to_Guide_Measurement_Improvement_and_Research?channel=doi&linkId=5881476ca6fdcc6b790dd808&showFulltext=tr
Sunderji N., Ion A., Huynh D., Benassi P., Ghavam-Rassoul A., and Carvalhal A. 2018 Advancing integrated care through psychiatric workforce development: A systematic review of educational interventions to train psychiatrists in integrated care The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry 63 8 513 -525
Sunderji N. and Jokic R. 2015 Integrated care training in Canada: Challenges and future directions Academic Psychiatry 39 6 740 -741
Tricco A., Lillie E., Zarin W., O’Brien K., Colquhoun H., Levac D., Moher D., Peters M., Horsley T., Weeks L., Hempel S., Akl E., Chang C., Mcgowan J., Stewart L., Hartling L., Aldcroft A., Wilson M., Garritty C., and Straus S. 2018 PRISMA extension for scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR): Checklist and explanation Annals of Internal Medicine 169
Wakida E., Okello E., Rukundo G., Akena D., Alele P., Talib Z., and Obua C. 2019 Health system constraints in integrating mental health services into primary healthcare in rural Uganda: Perspectives of primary care providers International Journal of Mental Health Systems 13
Wang P. S., Aguilar-Gaxiola S., Alonso J., Angermeyer M. C., Borges G., Bromet E. J., Bruffaerts R., de Girolamo G., de Graaf R., Gureje O., Haro J. M., Karam E. G., Kessler R. C., Kovess V., Lane M. C., Lee S., Levinson D., Ono Y., Petukhova M., and … Wells J. E. 2007 Use of mental health services for anxiety, mood, and substance disorders in 17 countries in the WHO world mental health surveys The Lancet 370 9590 841 -850
Wang P. S., Lane M., Olfson M., Pincus H. A., Wells K. B., and Kessler R. C. 2005 Twelve-month use of mental health services in the United States: Results from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication Archives of General Psychiatry 62 6 629 -640
Woltmann E., Grogan-Kaylor A., Perron B., Georges H., Kilbourne A. M., and Bauer M. S. 2012 Comparative effectiveness of collaborative chronic care models for mental health conditions across primary, specialty, and behavioral health care settings: Systematic review and meta-analysis American Journal of Psychiatry 169 8 790 -804
World Health Organization (WHO). (2019). Mental disorders. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-disorders
World Health Organization & World Organization of Family Doctors (WHO & WONCA). (2008). Integrating mental health into primary care: A global perspective. Geneva: World Health Organization.
Zeiss A. M. and Karlin B. E. 2008 Integrating mental health and primary care services in the Department of Veterans Affairs health care system Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings 15 1 73 -78

Information & Authors

Information

Published In

cover image Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health
Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health
Volume 42Number 3November 2023
Pages: 29 - 45

History

Version of record online: 24 November 2023

Key Words

  1. collaborative care
  2. mental health services
  3. community mental health services
  4. scoping review
  5. health policy

Mots-clés

  1. soins collaboratifs
  2. services de santé mentale
  3. services de santé mentale communautaire
  4. examen de la portée
  5. politiques de santé

Authors

Affiliations

Dane Mauer-Vakil [email protected]
Nadiya Sunderji
Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care
Denise Webb
David Rudoler
Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences
Sara Allin

Metrics & Citations

Metrics

Other Metrics

Citations

Cite As

Export Citations

If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.

There are no citations for this item

View Options

Login options

Check if you access through your login credentials or your institution to get full access on this article.

Subscribe

Click on the button below to subscribe to Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health

Purchase options

Purchase this article to get full access to it.

Restore your content access

Enter your email address to restore your content access:

Note: This functionality works only for purchases done as a guest. If you already have an account, log in to access the content to which you are entitled.

View options

PDF

View PDF

Media

Media

Other

Tables

Share Options

Share

Share the article link

Share on social media