Barriers to integrating routine depression screening into community low vision rehabilitation services: a mixed methods study

Summary

This study examined the integration of routine depression screening, using two questions, and referral pathways into a national low vision service in Wales at 6 months following practitioner training, and identified key barriers to implementation. Forty practitioners completed questionnaires pre-, immediately post- and 6 months post-training and nine engaged in interviews 6 months post-training. Before training, only one third of practitioners (n = 15) identified depression in low vision patients, increasing to
over 90% (n = 37) at 6 months post-training, with a corresponding increase in those using validated depression screening questions from 10% (n = 4) to 80% (n = 32). Some barriers to implementation remained, including perceived patient reluctance to discuss depression, time constraints and lack of confidence in addressing depression.