General practitioners views and experiences in managing depression in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Up to 40% of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) suffer from comorbid depression. However, there is little data available on the perceptions and experiences of general practitioners (GPs) on the management of depression in patients with COPD. The study investigated GPs' views about recognizing and treating depression in patients with COPD. A postal survey of 3957 GPs in England about their views on recognizing and treating depression in patients with COPD was conducted. Participants were drawn from the General Medical Services statistics database maintained by the Department of Health. A total of 3957 GPs were mailed. Of these, 857 (22%) complete responses were received. Seventy two percent of the GPs reported screening for depression regularly in patients with COPD. Over 95% of the GPs' views were that depression interferes with the self-management of COPD and 584 (67%) thought that it exacerbates the symptoms of COPD. However, over two-fifths of GPs were concerned that convincing COPD patients with comorbid depression to receive appropriate treatment was a challenge. Barriers for treatment of comorbid depression in patients with COPD include lack of adequate provision of psychological services and long waiting times for psychological treatment. It is encouraging that most GPs were vigilant and proactively screening for depression. However, there is limited immediate access and provision to psychological therapies to refer COPD patients for treatment in the primary care setting. Further study is required.