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Table 1 Example of the process of analysis

From: A qualitative study on primary health care professionals’ perceptions of mental health, suicidal problems and help-seeking among young people in Nicaragua

Examples of quotes

Codes

Theme

The other thing is the fact that I can’t address [the problems] in five, ten, fifteen minutes, because first of all you have to create a climate of confidence. Because if you’ve got a patient here, you’ve got another one waiting back there and sometimes you make the mistake of rushing.”

Lack of time

Barriers to help young people

Lack of training/knowledge

Lack of skills to detect problems

Building trust takes time

Stressing to keep schedule

“The number of patients per doctor is quite large. I’m sure that if we had a little more time, problems could be addressed… I believe that we need more staff trained in mental health… sometimes the authorities believe that health problems are only physical, and mental health is put a little behind and it shouldn’t be like that because in this country… with so many problems that we have….for example just in two of the big PHCs there is only one psychologist and no psychiatrist.

I’m not saying that doctors can’t do it - on the contrary - I think that doctors should always be educated and trained in mental health problems.”

Lack of time

Barriers to help young people

More human resources

Mental health is not a priority

Not given the real importance

Lack of training

Frustration

More training in MH

Looking to improve their skills

Open attitude to learn

“…sometimes it becomes very difficult to meet here. We do not have adequate space, we don’t have the privacy that patients need to highlight the problems they have, and I think that is why people do not give us all the information.

Lack of privacy

Barriers to help young people

Lack of time

Lack of skills

“Hot potato”

Caring for the patients

Inadequate conditions

Referring to others

But even with all those limitations, I’m trying to do my best, so I listen to their problems and then refer them to the psychologist because it requires more time… to try to solve the family problems they have. We can’t do it here, so it’s better to refer to the psychologist and the psychologist can give them more time and they can solve it.”