TY - JOUR T1 - Common mental health disorders — identification and pathways to care: NICE clinical guideline JF - British Journal of General Practice JO - Br J Gen Pract SP - 47 LP - 49 DO - 10.3399/bjgp12X616481 VL - 62 IS - 594 AU - Tony Kendrick AU - Stephen Pilling Y1 - 2012/01/01 UR - http://bjgp.org/content/62/594/47.abstract N2 - NICE has developed a guideline on the identification of common mental health disorders (CMHDs) and on pathways to care for these disorders.1 These CMHDs include:depression;generalised anxiety disorder (GAD);panic disorder;obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD);post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD); andsimple phobias.The prevalence of CMHDs in the community is around 15%, and even higher, around 20%, among people attending general practice. The costs of CMHDs are high. They are estimated to cause 1 in 5 days lost from work in Britain.2 There are problems with access to care and with identification of people with CMHDs. In the 2007 household survey of adult psychiatric morbidity only 38% of people with CMHDs had asked their GP for help, and only 24% were receiving treatment (14% medication; 5% counselling; and 5% both).3The aim of the NICE guideline is to improve access to services, improve the recognition and identification of CMHDs, and provide advice on developing care pathways. There is a need for greater clarity around the indications for treatment and referral of CMHDs, including severity, duration, associated disability, and other factors likely to affect responses to drug and psychological treatments. A more systematic approach to organising care pathways is needed, including the consideration of developing ‘stepped care’ systems and ‘collaborative care’ across the primary and secondary care sectors of the NHS.The guideline also brings together in one place advice from existing NICE guidelines on referral for and treatment of the disorders. These are guidelines on depression in adults,4 depression with chronic physical health problems,5 GAD and panic disorder,6 antenatal and postnatal mental health,7 OCD,8 and PTSD.9 The individual guidelines already developed cover treatment, but vary in their coverage of identification, assessment, and appropriate referral.IdentificationThe guideline states that practitioners should be … ER -