Literature Collection

ObjectivesIntegrated neighbourhood teams (INTs) are central to health system reforms in England, aiming to deliver local, coordinated, and personalised care. Understanding the factors that influence their successful functioning is crucial for informing local policy and practice. This rapid evidence synthesis aimed to answer the research question: What factors influence service integration and delivery by INTs operating across health, care, and voluntary sector organisations?MethodsIn February 2025, we searched Medline and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) for relevant UK-based primary research and international evidence syntheses published within the last 10 years. The database searches were complemented by searches in Google Scholar and the Google search engine. Eligible studies reported evidence on factors shaping the successful functioning of local and neighbourhood-level integrated teams. Data were rapidly synthesised qualitatively.ResultsDatabase searches identified 5139 articles (4954 after duplicates were removed). Of these, 26 were eligible for inclusion, comprising nine primary studies and 17 evidence syntheses published between 2015 and 2025. The findings were highly consistent. Key factors supporting INT functioning included a clear, shared vision; effective leadership; strong working relationships based on trust and mutual respect; clarity on interprofessional roles and responsibilities; appropriate and sustained resources and funding; opportunities for staff learning and development; co-location, dedicated time for multidisciplinary team meetings; and interoperable information technology systems to support data sharing.ConclusionsThere is strong agreement on key relational and organisational factors that support INT functioning. Our practical framework can be used to support policymakers, commissioners, and professionals when planning and implementing INTs.

The Collaborative Care Model (CoCM) is a principle-based, behavioral health integration model used in primary care to improve access and quality of behavioral health treatment. CoCM was originally developed and tested for the treatment of depression. This JGIM Perspective argues that when principle-based models are scaled to complex populations and settings beyond those for which they were originally developed, the boundaries of the principles are strained. In scaling CoCM for the treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD) co-occurring with PTSD and/or depression in a randomized trial, we found challenges with enacting the principles of CoCM for a complex population in low-resourced settings. Key considerations included understanding the scope of the care manager role while adapting practices for low-resourced settings (e.g., using community health workers (CHWs) in the role; delivery of psychotherapy by CHWs), understanding if and how to address patient social needs in CoCM care plans, overcoming lack of validated measures for OUD symptoms, and understanding the appropriate timeframe and supports needed to provide population-based care to complex patients with co-occurring disorders. Practitioners, researchers, and policymakers should collaborate to refine understanding of the CoCM principles to strengthen the foundation of CoCM and its application to various populations and settings.

BACKGROUND: Postnatal depression (PND) affects around one in 10 women in the UK within 12 months of giving birth. Despite current management, suicide remains the leading cause of maternal deaths between 6 weeks and 12 months, accounting for 39% of cases. AIM: This systematic review aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of non-pharmacological interventions for managing postnatal depression within a primary care setting. METHOD: A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus databases, following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. English-language papers published between 2006 and 2019 that met the inclusion criteria were retrieved. Nine papers were deemed eligible and appraised using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP). The study included four randomised controlled trials and five qualitative studies. RESULTS: The studies evaluated interventions including listening visits, cognitive behavioural approaches (CBA) and person-centred approaches, group therapy, peer support, and health visitor training. No single intervention emerged as the most effective. Listening visits were commonly used but insufficient to manage PND alone. CBA showed improvements, particularly for women with more severe symptoms. Peer support and group therapy were associated with improved outcomes, while health visitor training was effective in delivering psychologically informed approaches to reduce depressive symptomology. CONCLUSION: Integrating non-pharmacological interventions - such as a multimodal treatment approach, peer support, and group therapy programmes in the community, and delivering training packages for health visitors - can effectively manage postnatal depression in primary care and improve current practices.