Keywords: depression, depression screening, depression management, mhGAP, family physicians, PHQ-2, PHQ-9, Ukraine, healthcare implementation, physician support, needs assessment, implementation, family physicians, primary care.

Background:

The prevalence of depression is increasing, particularly in conflict-affected settings such as Ukraine during the full-scale Russian invasion. Many patients present in primary care with somatic complaints do not report emotional distress. While routine depression screening can uncover latent cases of depression, only depression assessment is insufficient without effective management. In Ukraine, primary care management of depression is guided by the WHO Mental Health Gap Action Programme Intervention Guide (mhGAP-IG). Despite intensified mhGAP training, routine depression screening and management in Ukrainian primary care remain insufficient. It is important to involve healthcare professionals into organizational decision-making. Therefore, exploring strategies that consider family doctors’ needs is crucial for successful integration of depression screening and management into primary care.

Research questions:

What is the perceived importance of the exact family physicians` needs when implementing routine depression screening and management for adult patients presenting with somatic complaints?
What are the suggested ways to meet these family physicians` needs?

Method:

Family doctors will complete an online validated version of the Healthcare Professionals’ Implementation-needs Questionnaire for Family Doctors (HPIQ-FD), distributed via professional chat groups. The questionnaire will assess needs related to implementing depression screening using Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-2, PHQ-9) and management using mhGAP-IG. Items will cover key domains, including clear instructions, practical skills, time, financial incentives, organizational support, and availability of resources. The perceived importance of each need will be assessed using closed questions rated on a 5-point Likert scale, with open-ended questions allowing clarification of these needs.

Results:

Quantitative data will be analyzed to assess family doctors’ perceived importance of different implementation needs, while qualitative data will be used to further clarify and contextualize these needs.

Conclusions:

The study will identify key needs of family doctors to inform tailored implementation strategies for integrating routine depression screening and management into primary care practice in Ukraine.

Points for discussion:

How do primary care physicians in other countries implement routine depression screening and management? Which tools, guidelines, or frameworks are commonly used?

What are the main needs for implementing depression screening and management at the primary care level in other countries (e.g., training, time, organizational support, resources)?