Mental health problems are complex by nature because of our inability to grasp the full parameters of each disease and its impact on different individuals. It isn’t something you can study in the physical sense, and many scholars view the study of psychology as a soft science - unclear, unquantifiable, and incomplete. Because of this, there is a divide between general care and mental health care, where health problems in the physical sense are considered primary care but mental health is seen as an extraneous service. It's as if treatment of someone’s psychological well being is of the same value as their dental care or chiropractic care. Additionally, mental health is a crucial determinant of patient compliance with treatment and is often at the root of physical ailments, but is not the main priority of a traditional primary care doctor.
For example, negative lifestyle choices driven by depression may lead to diabetes, but the doctor will only treat for diabetes. It is not within his job description to provide treatment options for depression, nor is it his place to diagnose the patient without a license in mental health. However, the two issues are not separate!
For example, negative lifestyle choices driven by depression may lead to diabetes, but the doctor will only treat for diabetes. It is not within his job description to provide treatment options for depression, nor is it his place to diagnose the patient without a license in mental health. However, the two issues are not separate!
According to The Global Burden of Disease report, major depression imposed the fourth greatest disease burden worldwide in 1990. This is measured by the number of years the average person lives with a significant disability. The study projected that by the year 2020, depression would be ranked second, only behind cardiovascular disease. Additionally, 21.8% of total Years Living with Disability were accounted for by mental health and substance abuse problems.
This is a pressing problem that has enormous cost implications on public health, medical care, and quality of life. Just because western medicine has advanced further in research on physical ailments does not mean that comparing preventative mental health care strategies to primary care treatment is like apples to oranges. The two health concerns are one in the same, entwined to represent each patient who has a complex set of symptoms that require treatment.
Our healthcare system preaches the idea that patients should treat their health with not only a reactive attitude, but also preventative mindset. You shouldn't be going to the dentist only when you're in so much pain you have to get a root canal (at least I certainly hope you're not), instead you should be going for bi-annual teeth cleanings and oral examinations. Women over the age forty are recommended to get a mammogram at least once a year to screen for breast cancer, especially for patients with family history. If you don't, you run the risk of finding out about your breast cancer when it is already too late to combat it. It makes sense to apply the same logic to mental health, as we are all susceptible to developing behavioral problems due to the circumstances surrounding our lives. Currently, we are living in a system where patients are only going to see counseling specialists after a dire change in their emotional well-being, and often times have developed a disease that they will have to fight with for the rest of their lives. By the time they are getting help, they are already dealing with severe cases of depression, anxiety, and OCD. What the general population often forgets is that mental illness does not always start out that severe - a majority of the time it begins quietly, almost unnoticeably, and is self-diagnosed as a result of stress or a personality quirk. It only becomes severe because of a lack of medical attention and lack of professional care.
In the same way that breast cancer doesn't kill you overnight, neither does mental illness. But you can't get chemotherapy or surgery before you know you have cancer. Similarly, you can't begin to try and learn how to live a healthy life in a holistic manner without being aware that the behavioral and emotional stressors you are dealing with may in fact be warning signs of the development of mental illness.
Mental health and physical health are equally important in the greater definition of personal welfare and both are crucial to living fulfilling and meaningful lives. So why do we treat mental health as such a separate issue from primary care? As we look to the future, perhaps it's time for us to reconsider a more integrated medical care system that coordinates the treatments of both types of health problems to produce the best patient outcomes and lead to people living healthier and happier lives.
To learn more, visit: http://www.integration.samhsa.gov/integrated-care-models/primary-care-in-behavioral-health
Our healthcare system preaches the idea that patients should treat their health with not only a reactive attitude, but also preventative mindset. You shouldn't be going to the dentist only when you're in so much pain you have to get a root canal (at least I certainly hope you're not), instead you should be going for bi-annual teeth cleanings and oral examinations. Women over the age forty are recommended to get a mammogram at least once a year to screen for breast cancer, especially for patients with family history. If you don't, you run the risk of finding out about your breast cancer when it is already too late to combat it. It makes sense to apply the same logic to mental health, as we are all susceptible to developing behavioral problems due to the circumstances surrounding our lives. Currently, we are living in a system where patients are only going to see counseling specialists after a dire change in their emotional well-being, and often times have developed a disease that they will have to fight with for the rest of their lives. By the time they are getting help, they are already dealing with severe cases of depression, anxiety, and OCD. What the general population often forgets is that mental illness does not always start out that severe - a majority of the time it begins quietly, almost unnoticeably, and is self-diagnosed as a result of stress or a personality quirk. It only becomes severe because of a lack of medical attention and lack of professional care.
In the same way that breast cancer doesn't kill you overnight, neither does mental illness. But you can't get chemotherapy or surgery before you know you have cancer. Similarly, you can't begin to try and learn how to live a healthy life in a holistic manner without being aware that the behavioral and emotional stressors you are dealing with may in fact be warning signs of the development of mental illness.
Mental health and physical health are equally important in the greater definition of personal welfare and both are crucial to living fulfilling and meaningful lives. So why do we treat mental health as such a separate issue from primary care? As we look to the future, perhaps it's time for us to reconsider a more integrated medical care system that coordinates the treatments of both types of health problems to produce the best patient outcomes and lead to people living healthier and happier lives.
To learn more, visit: http://www.integration.samhsa.gov/integrated-care-models/primary-care-in-behavioral-health
Sources:
Buck JA, Teich JL, Umland B, et al. Behavioral health benefits in employer-sponsored health plans. Health Affairs. 1999;18:67-78.
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