Page 123 - Demo

Primary mental healthcare: patients’ perspectives1215previous 12 months. In addition, selection bias may have occurred for a number of reasons. First, precise information on participants’ intellectual and adaptive functioning was not available. Theoretically, persons with more severe ID or without ID may have been included as participants. However, the expert judgement of the clinical-researcher, an ID physician, qualified all participants as persons with MID. Secondly, as most participants were recruited through their GP, people whose MID was not identified by the GP were not invited to participate in this study. Thirdly, only people who were communicative and mentally capable could participate. Finally, we were able to include only one male, despite extra efforts to include more male participants. However, there was a good spread in age and type of MH problems among the 11 participants (Table 1) who were contacted across GP practices throughout the country. These biases may have underexposed specific perspectives.Comparison with existing literatureOur findings show some similarities with studies focusing on primary care experiences of people with MID alone and of people with MH problems without ID. Like the participants in our study, people with MID in general experience difficulties in contemplating whether or not to visit their GP and in communicating with their GP17, 26; issues acknowledged by GPs. 27-29 The support of a network, a good relationship with the GP, continuity of care, and autonomy were also deemed important in previous studies. 17, 27In addition, our results overlap with a qualitative study focusing on people in primary care with MH problems in general, where patients also indicated that it is essential to have a good relationship with their GP and for the GP to be familiar with their context and keep up-to-date about their mental wellbeing.19 In contrast to participants with MID in our study, that study focuses less on practical needs and the role of the network seems less prominent.Implications for research and practiceThe results of this study provide insight into patients’ expectations and needs, and thus offer opportunities to improve the quality of primary MH care for people with MID. Participants expressed the need for the GP and staff to acknowledge their MID. For this, it is important for the GP and staff Katrien Pouls sHL.indd 121 24-06-2024 16:26