Research papers

Flehr, A, Dowrick, C, Kaylor-Hughes, C, & Gunn, J. (2025). Uniting depression care through generalism: a primary care-informed response to the Lancet–World Psychiatric Association Commission’s call for action on depression. The Lancet Primary Care. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/ j.lanprc.2025.100042

Coe, A. Gunn, J. Fletcher, S. Murray, E. Kaylor-Hughes, C. (2023). “Self-reported reasons for reducing or stopping antidepressant medications in primary care: thematic analysis of the diamond longitudinal study.” Primary Health Care Research & Development. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S1463423623000038

Lee, YY. Mihalopoulos, C. Chatterton, ML. Fletcher, S. Chondros, P. Densley, K. Murray, E. Dowrick, C. Coe, A. Hegarty, K. Davidson, S. Wachtler, C. Palmer, V. Gunn, J. (2022). “Economic evaluation of the Target-D platform to match depression management to severity prognosis in primary care: A within-trial cost-utility analysis.” PloS one. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0268948

Chatterton, ML. Harris, M. Burgess, P. Fletcher, S. Spittal, MJ. Faller, J. Palmer, V. Chondros, P. Bassilios, B. Pirkis, J. Gunn, J. Mihalopoulos, C. (2022). “Economic evaluation of a Decision Support Tool to guide intensity of mental health care in general practice: the Link-me pragmatic randomised controlled trial.” BMC Primary Care. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12875-022-01839-z

Hegarty, K. Densley, K. Gilchrist, G. Elliott, P. Gunn, J. (2023). “Trajectories of intimate partner violence (IPV) in a primary care cohort of women with depressive symptoms.” Journal of Gender-Based Violence. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1332/239868021X16481290114798

Taylor, A. Palmer, V. Davidson, S. Fletcher, S. Gunn, J. (2022). “Patient reported self‐help strategies and the perceived benefits for managing sub‐threshold depressive symptoms: A nested qualitative study of Australian primary care attendees.” Health & Social Care in the Community. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/hsc.13646

McKenzie, K. Fletcher, S. Pierce, D. Gunn, J. (2021). “Moving from “let’s fix them” to “actually listen”: the development of a primary care intervention for mental-physical multimorbidity.” BMC health services research. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-021-06307-5

Fletcher, S. Chondros, P. Densley, K. Murray, E. Dowrick, C. Coe, A. Hegarty, K. Davidson, S. Wachtler, C. Mihalopoulos, C. Lee, YY. Chatterton, ML. Palmer, V. Gunn, J. (2021). “Matching depression management to severity prognosis in primary care: results of the Target-D randomised controlled trial.” British Journal of General Practice. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3399/BJGP.2020.0783

Fletcher, S. Spittal, MJ. Chondros, P. Palmer, V. Chatterton, ML. Densley, K. Potiriadis, M. Harris, M. Bassilios, B. Burgess, P. Mihalopoulos, C. Pirkis, J. Gunn, J. (2021) “Clinical efficacy of a decision support tool (Link-me) to guide intensity of mental health care in primary practice: a pragmatic stratified randomised controlled trial.” The Lancet Psychiatry. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(20)30517-4

Gunn, J. Fletcher, S. Harris, M. Spittal, MJ. Palmer, V. Chatterton, ML. Chondros, P. Bassilios, B. Burgess, P. Mihalopolous, C. Pirkis, J. (2020). LINK-ME FINAL REPORT. Primary Health Network Mental Health Reform (Lead Site Project).  https://www.health.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/2021/11/foi-request-2758-release-documents-inquiry-into-mental-health-and-suicide-prevention-primary-health-network-mental-health-reform-lead-site-project-link-me-final-report.pdf

Jessel, CD. Mostafa, S. Potiriadis, M. Everall, IP. Gunn, J. Bousman, C. (2020). “Use of antidepressants with pharmacogenetic prescribing guidelines in a 10-year depression cohort of adult primary care patients.” Pharmacogenetics and Genomics. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1097/FPC.0000000000000406

Davidson, S. Romaniuk, H. Chondros, P. Dowrick, C. Pirkis, J. Herrman, H. Fletcher, S. Gunn, J. (2020). “Antidepressant treatment for primary care patients with depressive symptoms: data from the diamond longitudinal cohort study.” Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0004867419898761

Fletcher, S. Spittal, MJ. Palmer, V. Chatterton, ML. Chondros, P. Bassilios, B. Harris, M. Burgess, P. Mihalopolous, C. Pirkis, J. Gunn, J. (2019). LINK-ME FIRST REPORT. Primary Health Network Mental Health Reform (Lead Site Project).  
https://www.health.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/2021/11/foi-request-2758-release-documents-inquiry-into-mental-health-and-suicide-prevention-primary-health-network-mental-health-reform-lead-site-project-link-me-first-report.pdf

Fletcher, S. Chondros, P. Palmer, V. Chatterton, ML. Spittal, MJ. Mihalopoulos, C. Wood, A. Harris, M. Burgess, P. Bassilios, B. Pirkis, J. Gunn, P. (2019). “Link-me: Protocol for a randomised controlled trial of a systematic approach to stepped mental health care in primary care.” Contemporary clinical trials.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cct.2018.12.014

Wachtler, C. Coe, A. Davidson, S. Fletcher, S. Mendoza, A. Sterling, L. Gunn, J. (2018). “Development of a mobile clinical prediction tool to estimate future depression severity and guide treatment in primary care: user-centered design.” JMIR mHealth and uHealth. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2196/mhealth.9502

Castellani, B. Griffiths, F. Rajaram, R. Gunn, J. (2018). “Exploring comorbid depression and physical health trajectories: A case‐based computational modelling approach.” Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jep.13042

Chondros, P. Davidson, S. Wolfe, R. Gilchrist, G. Dowrick, C. Griffiths, F. Hegarty, K. Herrman, H. Gunn, J. (2018) “Development of a prognostic model for predicting depression severity in adult primary patients with depressive symptoms using the diamond longitudinal study.” Journal of Affective Disorders.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2017.11.042 (In Press)

Gunn, J. Cameron, J. Densley, K. Davidson, S. Fletcher, S. Palmer, V. Chondros, P. Dowrick, C. Pirkis, J. (2018). "Uptake of mental health websites in primary care: Insights from an Australian longitudinal cohort study of depression." Patient Educ Couns. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2017.07.008

Chondros, P. Davidson, S. Wolfe, R. Gilchrist, G. Dowrick, C. Griffiths, F. Hegarty, K. Herrman, H. Gunn, J. (2017) “Development of a prognostic model for predicting depression severity in adult primary patients with depressive symptoms using the diamond longitudinal study.” Journal of Affective Disorders https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2017.11.042 (In Press)

Gunn, J. Cameron, J. Densley, K. Davidson, S. Fletcher, S. Palmer, V. Chondros, P. Dowrick, C. Pirkis, J. (2017). "Uptake of mental health websites in primary care: Insights from an Australian longitudinal cohort study of depression." Patient Educ Couns.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2017.07.008

Bousman, C. Gunn, J. Potiriadis, M. Everall, IP. (2017). “Polygenic phenotypic plasticity moderates the effects of severe childhood abuse on depressive symptom severity in adulthood: A 5-year prospective cohort study. The World Journal of Biological Psychiatry.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3109/15622975.2016.1153710

Gunn, J. Wachtler, C. Fletcher, S. Davidson, S. Mihalopoulos, C. Palmer, V. Hegarty, K. Coe, A. Murray, E. Dowrick, C. Andrews, G. Chondros, P. (2017). “Target-D: a stratified individually randomized controlled trial of the diamond clinical prediction tool to triage and target treatment for depressive symptoms in general practice: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.” Trials.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-017-2089-y

Davidson, S. Dowrick, C. Gunn, J. (2016). "Impact of functional and structural social relationships on two year depression outcomes: A multivariate analysis." Journal of Affective Disorders 193: 274-281. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2015.12.025

Middleton A, Pirkis J, Chondros P, Bassilios B, Gunn J. (2016). "The Health Service Use of Frequent Users of Telephone Helplines in a Cohort of General Practice Attendees with Depressive Symptoms. ." Adm Policy Ment Health. 43: 663-674. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-015-0680-7

Webb, C. Gunn J. Potiriadis M, Everall, I. Bousman C. (2016). "The Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Val66Met Polymorphism Moderates the Effects of Childhood Abuse on Severity of Depressive symptoms in a Time-Dependent Manner." Front. Psychiatry 7(151). DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2016.00151

Ambresin, G. V. Palmer, K. Densley, C. Dowrick, Gilchrist, G. Gunn J. (2015). "What factors influence long-term antidepressant use in primary care? Findings from the Australian diamond cohort study." J Affect Disord 176(0): 125-132.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2015.01.055

Castellani, B. Rajaram, R. Gunn, J. Griffiths, F. (2015). "Cases, clusters, densities: Modeling the nonlinear dynamics of complex health trajectories." Complexity. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/cplx.21728

Davidson, S. Harris, M, Dowrick, C. Wachtler, C. Pirkis, J. Gunn J. (2015). "Mental health interventions and future major depression among primary care patients with subthreshold depression." Journal of Affective Disorders 177: 65-73.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2015.02.014

Nguyen T, Gunn J, Potiriadis M, Everall, I. Bousman C. (2015). "Serotonin transporter polymorphism (5HTTLPR), severe childhood abuse and depressive symptom trajectories in adulthood." British Journal of Psychiatry Open 1(1): 104-109.
DOI: 10.1192/bjpo.bp.115.000380

Gilchrist, G. Davidson, S.  Middleton, A. Herrman, H. Hegarty, K. Gunn, J. (2015). "Factors associated with smoking and smoking cessation among primary care patients with depression: a naturalistic cohort study." Advances in Dual Diagnosis 8(1): 18-28.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/ADD-10-2014-0036

Ambresin, G., Chondros, P. Dowrick, C. Herrman, C. Gunn, J. (2014). "Self-Rated Health and Long-Term Prognosis of Depression." The Annals of Family Medicine 12(1): 57-65. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1370/afm.1562

Bousman, C. Potiriadis, M. Everall, I. Gunn, J. (2014). "G-protein β3 subunit genetic variation moderates five-year depressive symptom trajectories of primary care attendees." J Affect Disord 165(0): 64-68. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2014.04.044

Griffiths, F. Boardman, F. Chondros, C. Dowrick, C. Densley, K. Hegarty, K and Gunn, J. (2014). "The effect of strategies of personal resilience on depression recovery in an Australian cohort: A mixed methods study." Health DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1363459314539774

Pirotta, M. Densley, K. Forsdike, K. Carter, M. Gunn, J. (2014). "St John's Wort use in Australian general practice patients with depressive symptoms: their characteristics and use of other health services." BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine 14: 204-204. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6882-14-204

Pirotta, M., Willis K, Carter M, Forsdike K, Newton D and Gunn J. (2014). "‘Less like a drug than a drug’: The use of St John's wort among people who self-identify as having depression and/or anxiety symptoms." Complement Ther Med(0).
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctim.2014.07.007

Gunn, J. Elliott, P. Densley, K. Middleton, A. Ambresin, G. Dowrick, C. Herrman, H. Hegarty, K. Gilchrist, G. Griffiths, F. (2013). "A trajectory-based approach to understand the factors associated with persistent depressive symptoms in primary care." J Affect Disord 148(2–3): 338-346. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2012.12.021

Palmer, V. Johnson, C. Furler, J. Densley, K. Potiriadis, M. Gunn, J. (2013). "Written plans: an overlooked mechanism to develop recovery-oriented primary care for depression?" Australian Journal of Primary Health. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1071/PY12128

Kokanovic, R. Butler, E. Halilovich, H. Palmer, H. Griffiths, F. Dowrick, C. Gunn, J. (2013). "Maps, Models, and Narratives: The Ways People Talk About Depression." Qual Health Res 23(1): 114-125.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1049732312467231

Densley, K. Davidson, S. Gunn, J. (2013). "Evaluation of the Social Participation Questionnaire in adult patients with depressive symptoms using Rasch analysis." Qual Life Res: 1-11.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-013-0354-4

French, S., K. Densley, M. Charity and J. Gunn (2013). "Who uses Australian chiropractic services?" Chiropractic & Manual Therapies 21(1): 1-8. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/2045-709X-21-31

Bousman, C. Potiriadis, M. Everall, I. Gunn, J. (2013). “Effects of Neuregulin-1 Genetic Variation and Depression Symptom Severity on Longitudinal Patterns of Psychotic Symptoms in Primary Care Attendees.” American Journal of Medical Genetics Part B: Neuropsychiatric Genetics. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ajmg.b.32206

Bousman, C. Potiriadis, M. Everall, I. Gunn, J. (2013). "Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) genetic variation and major depressive disorder prognosis: A five‐year prospective cohort study of primary care attendees." American Journal of Medical Genetics Part B: Neuropsychiatric Genetics. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ajmg.b.32209

Feng, Q. Griffiths, F.  Parsons, N. Gunn, J. (2013). "An exploratory statistical approach to depression pattern identification." Physica A 392(4): 889-901. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physa.2012.10.025

Gunn, J. Ayton, D. Densley, K. Pallant, J. Chondros, P.  Herrman, H. Dowrick, C. (2012). "The association between chronic illness, multimorbidity and depressive symptoms in an Australian primary care cohort." Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 47(2): 175-184.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-010-0330-z

Boardman, F. Griffiths, F. Kokanovic, R. Potiriadis, M. Dowrick, C. Gunn, J.  (2011). "Resilience as a response to the stigma of depression: A mixed methods analysis." J Affect Disord 135 (1-3): 267-276.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2011.08.007

Gunn, J. Palmer, V. Dowrick, C.  Herrman, H.  Griffiths, F.  Kokanovic, R. Blashki, G. Hegarty, K. Johnson, C. Potiriadis, M. May, C. (2010). "Embedding effective depression care: using theory for primary care organisational and systems change." Implement Sci 5: 62-76.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/1748-5908-5-62

Palmer, V. Gunn, J. Kokanovic, R. Griffiths, F. Shrimpton, B. Hurworth, R. Herrman, H. Johnson, H. Hegarty, K. Blashki, G. Butler, E. Johnston-Ata'ata K. Dowrick, C. (2010). "Diverse voices, simple desires: a conceptual design for primary care to respond to depression and related disorders." Fam Pr 27 (4): 447-458.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/fampra/cmq016

Gilchrist, G. Hegarty, K. Chondros, P.  Herrman, H. Gunn, J. (2010). "The association between intimate partner violence, alcohol and depression in family practice." BMC Fam Pract 11(1): 72.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2296-11-72

Johnson, C. Gunn, J. Kokanovic, R. (2009). "Depression recovery from the primary care patient's perspective: 'hear it in my voice and see it in my eyes'." Mental Health in Family Medicine 6(1): 49-55.
DOI: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2777597/

Hegarty, K. Gunn, J. Blashki, G. Griffiths, F. Dowell, T. Kendrick, T. (2009). "How could depression guidelines be made more relevant and applicable to primary care? A quantitative and qualitative review of national guidelines." Br J Gen Pract 59(562): e149-156.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3399/bjgp09X420581

Gunn, J. Gilchrist, G. Chondros, P. Ramp, M. Hegarty, K. Blashki, G. Pond, D. Kyrios, M. Herrman, H. (2008). "Who is identified when screening for depression is undertaken in general practice? Baseline findings from the Diagnosis, Management and Outcomes of Depression in Primary Care (diamond) longitudinal study." Med J Aust188(12 Suppl): S119-125.

Dowrick, C. Kokanovic, R. Hegarty, K. Griffiths, F. Gunn, J. (2008). "Resilience and depression: perspectives from primary care." Health (London) 12(4): 439-452. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1363459308094419

Potiriadis M, Chondros P, Gilchrist G, Hegarty K, Blashki G and Gunn J. (2008). "How do Australian patients rate their general practitioner? A descriptive study using the General Practice Assessment Questionnaire." MJA 189(4): 215-219.

Gilchrist, G. and Gunn, J. (2007). "Observational studies of depression in primary care: what do we know?" BMC Fam Pract 8: 28.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2296-8-28

Gunn, J. (2006). "Towards a practical solution for depression in general practice." New Zealand Family Practice 33(4): 239-242.

Gunn, J. Diggens, J. Hegarty, K. Blashki, G. (2006). "A systematic review of complex system interventions designed to increase recovery from depression in primary care." BMC Health Serv Res 6(1): 88.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6963-6-88