In reply: Our words in conclusion to our article were carefully chosen as: “Competency in CBS [cognitive behavioural strategies] in highly motivated GPs [general practitioners] can be improved by a brief training intervention”1 (italics added) — not that all such interventions will lead to improvements for all GPs, but that well designed and conducted training for selected GPs can do so. Research so far leaves open the possibility of large enough effect sizes for GP mental health training to be relevant to policy.2 The review cited by Kljakovic was limited in scope and noted the poor quality of studies included.3
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- 1 Department of General Practice, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC.
- 2 Monash University, Melbourne, VIC.
- 3 Discipline of Statistics, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, VIC.
- 4 Department of Psychiatry, Royal Women’s Hospital and University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC.
- 1. Blashki GA, Piterman L, Meadows GN, et al. Impact of an educational intervention on general practitioners’ skills in cognitive behavioural strategies: a randomised controlled trial. Med J Aust 2008; 188 (12 Suppl): S129-S132. <eMJA full text> <MJA full text>
- 2. Mihalopoulos C, Kiropoulos L, Shih ST, et al. Exploratory economic analyses of two primary care mental health projects: implications for sustainability. Med J Aust 2005; 183 (10 Suppl): S73-S76. <eMJA full text> <MJA full text>
- 3. Christensen H, Griffiths KM, Gulliver A, et al. Models in the delivery of depression care: a systematic review of randomised and controlled intervention trials. BMC Fam Pract 2008; 9: 25.
- 4. Gunn J, Diggens J, Hegarty K, Blashki G. A systematic review of complex system interventions designed to increase recovery from depression in primary care. BMC Health Serv Res 2006; 6: 88.