Research Services Agreement: Northwest Melbourne Primary Health Network - Literature Review

According to the Royal Commission into Victoria's Mental Health System 2021, mental health services in the state has been considered fragmented and not fit for purpose thereby resulting in a large group of individuals left with an unmet need for services. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the poor state of mental health in the population when the state went into a 111-day lockdown. The Royal Commission recommended that the system needed to be adaptive so that it ‘can identify and test new ideas, gather evidence about what works, and translate this into effective treatment, care and support’. The Commission envisaged that collaboration and communication occur between services within and beyond mental health system and that continuing research, evaluation and innovation be used to respond to community needs.

The purpose of this review is to collate the literature on the effectiveness of various models and their pre-requisites in managing common mental disorders in primary care settings. The findings of this review will inform the process of service innovation and implementation for persons with mental health challenges in the North West Melbourne region.