Mental health issues in primary care: implementing policies in practice.

Recent health policies highlight the important role that mental health contributes to our general wellbeing, and call for parity of esteem between physical and mental health. The bidirectional relationship between physical and mental health culminates in high prevalence rates of mental disorders in primary care settings. Despite these prevalence findings being known for some time, evidence would suggest that at times mental disorders are being overlooked. This article, set in context to policy, patient prevalence, practice and professional development, outlines a range of factors that can impede mental health delivery and proposes ways in which primary care nurses can strengthen their activity and involvement at various levels.