Nurse‐led task‐shifting strategies to substitute for mental health specialists in primary care: A systematic review

AIM: The study aimed to synthesize evidence comparing task‐shifting interventions led by general practice nurses and mental health specialists in improving mental health outcomes of adults in primary care. DESIGN: This study used a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. DATA SOURCES: Articles from the databases CINAHL, MEDLINE, APA PsycInfo, PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane EBM Reviews, Web of Science Core Collection, and ProQuest Dissertation and Thesis published between 2000 and 2020 were included. REVIEW METHODS: The review was arranged based on the Cochrane Collaboration guidelines and reported using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses (PRISMA). RESULTS: Twelve articles met the eligibility criteria. Eight studies revealed that nurse‐led intervention was significantly superior to its comparator. The review identified three major themes: training and supervision, single and collaborative care and psychosocial treatments. CONCLUSION: Nurses could be temporarily employed to provide mental health services in the absence of mental health specialists as long as appropriate training and supervision was provided. This finding should be interpreted with caution due to the high risk of bias in the studies reviewed and the limited generalisability of their findings.