Table 10.

Examples of messages for Ministers about depression and/or its treatment.

We are overtreating depression with medication instead of improving access to talking therapies and tackling the causative issues of social isolation, social media and poverty as well as many other social problems

We are causing significant harm to our patients by continuing with the biological chemical imbalance model of depression and prescribing potentially harmful drugs which cause suffering in withdrawal and may actually contribute to chronic depression

People need help and advice on how to improve quality of their lives, for example, advice re. hobbies locally. I think every area should have updated lists of interests/hobbies for all age groups and contact details provided. Thinking of isolated people, single parent families, etc.

There is still a huge shortage of MH services across the board. CAHMS is woeful in most areas, the waits for IAPT ridiculous, the CMHTs in crisis and so as GPs we are left trying to sort these vary complex patients in 10 min appointments as well as deal with their physical health, carers and families.

The erosion of continuity of care in general practice leads to poorer, more expensive health care. A trusted relationship with a GP who can see you repeatedly over time is one of the cheapest interventions and likely to be equally as effective as medication

Social prescribing should be promoted to people before they get ill, for example, through schools, on the tv.

Please stop medicalising everything. Not every low mood is Depression which needs to see a GP. Clinicians cannot solve mental health issues caused by poverty, unemployment, poor education etc. Please address poverty.

Increase psychological services provision

Please ensure that GPs have a real and accessible ALTERNATIVE to prescribing antidepressants. It is heart breaking to feel this is all we have to offer.

I think it’s shameful that talking therapies and social prescribing are so inaccessible, and if available have such long waiting lists as to render them useless.

CAMHS, child and adolescent mental health services; CMHT, community mental health team; IAPT, Improving Access to Psychological Treatments; MH, mental health.