Exploring practice staffs’ perspectives regarding professional roles, confidence, and motivations in delivering mental health care within rural general practice: a qualitative exploration

Background: General practice is pivotal in delivering mental health care within communities, yet the attitudes and professional factors influencing this provision remain underexplored. This study seeks to understand the perspective of general practice staff around the professional factors that influence the provision of primary mental health care. Methods: A qualitative study was conducted with semi-structured interviews of 14 general practice staff involved in mental health care. Participants included receptionists (n = 3), nurses (n = 4), practice managers (n = 3), and general practitioners (n = 4), recruited via purposive sampling. The Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) guided the interviews, and thematic analysis was used to identify themes and subthemes. Results: Three themes were identified. The first, ‘Role identity, skills, and leadership in mental health care,’ included subthemes of distinct role recognition with overlap, essential relational and practical skills, and leadership valued among experienced GPs. The second theme, ‘Confidence and involvement in mental health care,’ covered variability in confidence levels, differing perceptions of involvement, and attitudes towards further involvement. The third theme, ‘Drivers for and outcomes of delivering mental health care,’ revealed intrinsic motivations and acknowledged both benefits and serious consequences. Conclusion: This study explored general practice staff beliefs about role identity, skills, leadership, confidence, involvement, motivations, and perceptions of benefits in mental health care provision. The findings offer valuable insights into the complexities of mental health care in general practice, with significant implications for practice management and healthcare policy development.