MDD Minds for Primary Care is a comprehensive, self-paced online course developed by WONCA's Working Party on Mental Health in collaboration with Mosaica Solutions. The program aims to transform primary care for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) worldwide, empowering family doctors in Africa-Middle East, Asia, and Latin America to enhance care through expert-led courses and practical training.
The program consists of three key phases: MDD Minds 101 (a 7-module self-paced online course), a Train-the-Trainer course, and a Performance in Practice initiative. The online course covers: Module 1 – The Burden of Depression, Module 2 – Starting Treatment, Module 3 – Non-Drug Interventions, Module 4 – Pharmacotherapy, Module 5 – Managing Co-Morbidities, Module 6 – Follow-Up and Referrals, and Module 7 – Reflective Practice and Self-Care.
Developed by a diverse Master Faculty of 12 mental health experts from 9 countries, the program has reached over 2,892 primary care professionals, with 581 completing the course and reporting significant confidence improvements in managing depression (from 3.0 to 4.11 on a 5-point scale). The Train-the-Trainer phase enrolled 226 clinicians who conducted 142 community education sessions reaching 1,697 additional healthcare providers. The course is available in English, Japanese, Portuguese, and Spanish, and is now publicly accessible to anyone interested in strengthening their competencies in managing mental health problems in primary care.
This project is funded by an unrestricted educational grant from Pfizer. The MDD Minds model provides a foundation for scalable, system-level change in how primary care addresses mental health globally.
