Considering non-drug treatments for people with common mental health issues and socioeconomic disadvantage

In this episode, we talk to Dr Sarah Sowden, an Advanced Academic Clinical Fellow and honorary consultant in Public Health at Newcastle University. Title of paper: Which non-pharmaceutical primary care interventions improve mental health amongst socioeconomically disadvantaged populations? Systematic reviewAvailable at: https://doi.org/10.3399/BJGP.2022.0343New models of healthcare and clinical practice, such as social prescribing and collaborative care, are increasingly used as non-pharmaceutical alternatives for treating common mental disorders (CMDs) in primary care. However, there is a lack of evidence available to GPs about the effectiveness of these types of interventions for socioeconomically disadvantaged patients, among whom CMDs are most prevalent. This systematic review synthesised the international evidence exploring the impact on CMD outcomes for socioeconomically disadvantaged patients. Although the evidence base was weak, there was evidence for an overall positive effect on anxiety, depression, self-reported mental health and wellbeing.