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Research skills are fundamental to the building of the evidence basis of professional practice, are at the core of lifelong professional learning and are the keys to discovery, innovation and knowledge transfer. Research competency is thus increasingly recognised as an important educational goal for graduates in many professions. This paper describes a flexible program, adaptable to any professional course of study that allows students to engage in meaningful, scholarly and authentic research. Students are supported to undertake a research activity that spans the research continuum from development of a research question through to dissemination of findings, and strategic points in-between.

To purchase or authenticate to the full-text of this article, please visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9566.2007.01022.x Byline: Kevin Dew (1), Sonya Morgan (2), Anthony Dowell (2), Deborah McLeod (2), John Bushnell (3), Sunny Collings (4) Keywords: mental health; general practice; doctor-patient relationship; fear; trust Abstract: Abstract Research indicates that there is a high level of trust in health professionals but also a high level of non-disclosure of mental health issues to general practitioners (GPs). This paper explores the issue of patients' willingness to disclose mental health problems to GPs through interviews with 33 patients from the lower half of the North Island of New Zealand. Patients' willingness to disclose related to a range of factors but this paper focuses on fear and sense of control as these issues have received little attention in the extant literature and provide important discussion points for the conduct of consultations. Fear of the consequences of consultation warrants attention if general practice is to be promoted as the preferred point of contact for mental health consultations. The research reported here suggests that trust in a range of institutions and agencies, not just in the individual practitioner, would need to be achieved for the GP to be the preferred point of contact. Author Affiliation: (1)Public Health, University of Otago, Wellington, New Zealand (2)Primary Care and General Practice, University of Otago, Wellington, New Zealand (3)Graduate School of Medicine, University of Wollongong, Australia (4)Psychological Medicine, University of Otago, Wellington, New Zealand Article note: Address for correspondence: Kevin Dew, Public Health, University of Otago, PO Box 7343, Wellington South, Wellington 6002, New Zealand, e-mail: kevin.dew@otago.ac.nz

General practitioners provide treatment for the majority of people diagnosed as having a mental disorder in New Zealand, but much research suggests that they fail to diagnose many common mental disorders. This paper explores the issue of GP recognition of mental health problems through four discussion groups with GPs from the lower half of the North Island of New Zealand. GPs were asked to consider what they thought their role was in relation to mental health, what facilitated discussion of mental health issues in consultations and what could influence patients to disclose mental health problems. The analysis of the data collected drew on thematic and discourse analysis. Four key domains that had an impact on the consultation were identified, which were categorised as practice pressures, socio-cultural factors, the medico-legal framework and the consultation process. GPs employ a number of strategies to respond to the systemic and social issues influencing the consultation. This research suggests that GPs do recognise mental health problems in patients, but that a number of important factors result in the consultations not being labeled as mental health ones. The paper concludes by offering a framework for the mental health consultation that illustrates the systemic issues that GPs consider when making decisions about mental health consultations. Keywords: New Zealand; General practice; Mental health; Doctor-patient relationship