Background: The move in the United Kingdom (UK) from institutional to commu
nity care has led to an inevitable increase in the involvement of practice
nurses (PNs) in mental health care. Around 20 000 PNs are currently working
in the United Kingdom (UK). However, the extent and nature of PN involveme
nt in delivering mental health interventions has not been adequately explor
ed. Aim: This study aimed to quantify practice nurses' involvement in deliv
ering mental health interventions in primary care settings. Method: A quest
ionnaire was sent to a random sample of 1500 practice nurses registered,wit
h the Practice Nurse Forum at the Royal College of Nursing. Sixty per cent
of questionnaires were returned; however, once non-eligible respondents wer
e removed an adjusted response rate of 54% was achieved. Results: Practice
nurses play a significant role in the assessment and treatment of mental he
alth problems, most frequently via the administration of depot antipsychoti
cs and the screening for depression. However, antipsychotic side-effects we
re infrequently monitored and PNs' understanding of treatment issues in dep
ression is poor. These findings may be associated with the reported lack of
mental health training that PNs have received. Conclusions: The findings o
f this study have important implications for the training of practice nurse
s in mental health, specifically in the areas of medication management and
the detection of mental disorders.