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Primary mental healthcare: patients’ perspectives1115with MH problems in the previous 12 months, being communicative and mentally capable of participating in an interview, and having a confirmed MID or strongly suspected of having one by their GP or MHNP. Candidates received easy-to-read study information, and both written and verbal informed consent were obtained prior to the interview. If they had a legal representative, the representative’s consent was additionally required before participation. 20 In order to create an environment in which the participants felt as free as possible to talk about their own experiences and needs regarding this sensitive subject, interviews were conducted at a location of the participant’s choice, including the option of an online interview, and accompanied by a trusted person when desired. When a trusted person was present, that person did not participate actively in the interview, and his or her personal opinion was not considered in the data analysis. Participants were offered a €15 gift voucher after the interview. The Medical Research Ethics Committee East-Netherland, registration number: 2022-13687, ruled that this study was not subject to the Medical Research Involving Human Subjects Act.Data collectionSemi-structured interviews followed an interview guide based on the 11 dimensions of the Person-Centred Primary Care Measures (PCPCM, Supplementary Table 1). 21 The PCPCM is a patient-reported instrument encompassing 11 primary care aspects considered responsible for primary care effects on population health, equity, quality, and sustainable expenditure. A twelfth dimension, self-determination, was added to the interview guide after expert consultation of the study’s advisory group, which consisted of representatives from patient associations, primary care, ID care, MH care, and addiction care. Self-determination, the freedom to make one’s own choices, whether or not supported by carers, is associated with higher psychological wellbeing in people with MID 22 and is described in the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. 23The interviews were guided around the patient journey in primary care, starting with accessing primary care, followed by assessment, diagnosis, and treatment plan including referrals and medication prescriptions, and Katrien Pouls sHL.indd 111 24-06-2024 16:26