Wellbeing measures in primary health care/the DepCare Project: report on a WHO meeting: Stockholm, Sweden, 12–13 February 1998

ABSTRACT

People with depression are often not treated optimally or treated at all. Manydepressed people do not seek help and, in most countries, only a few generalpractitioners are well equipped to diagnose and measure outcome for people whoseek treatment. The WHO Regional Office for Europe held a meeting on qualityassurance for mental health in 1993, as part of a broader project supported by theEuropean Forum of Medical Associations; it looked at indicators for acute depressioncare. The Regional Office held a meeting on patient outcome measures in mentalhealth in 1995 to review the results of studies made since the first meeting and torecommend further application and dissemination of indicators for long-term, acuteand community care. The objective of the Meeting on the Use of Wellbeing Measuresin Primary Health Care – the DepCare Project was to discuss guidelines for carryingout a range of studies in several European countries, and the use of screening tools toidentification and manage depression and psychological problems and stress-relateddisorders, with a focus on quality of care. The participants decided to set up acommon database hosted by the Regional Office.