The role of the medical and non-medical mental health providers

Untreated mental illnesses affect overall health. The medical community is learning that people with diabetes have an increased chance of death if their depression is not also treated. There is a link between heart disease and untreated mental illness. Patients are often unwilling to disclose an exiting diagnosis psychiatric condition on patient history forms in doctor’s offices. They fear being treated with condescension. However, not listing psychiatric medications on a patient history form may lead to drug interactions when medication is needed for other medical conditions. …

Those patients who suspect mental health problems are often too embarrassed to mention their concerns, especially if their physicians seem to be uncomfortable with the topic.

A mental health screening form could be routinely filled out by all patients while in the waiting room. The sooner mental illnesses are recognized the greater the chance of recovery. Doctors can make their offices “mental wellness friendly” by posting signs like “Mental health is part of your total health.” ….

Talk therapists and psychologists routinely majored in liberal arts in college, not in science. These mental health providers did not study biochemistry, human genetics, or the medical functioning of the brain or the body. Their theories and therapies were, and are, based upon the works of others in their field. ….

More people are trained in psychology and social work than are trained in the medical field of psychiatry. The departments are typically headed by people with doctorate degrees in psychology or social work who have practiced or taught for many years. Course instructors are typically non-medical professionals from the same fields. There is usually not a single psychiatrist on staff or employed to provide curriculum input for these mental health specialties. ….