Try a team approach to mental, physical health for New Year
As we head into 2025, many of us on the First Coast will start to plan our New Year’s resolutions. When we think of resolutions, we often think about getting healthier, including losing weight, exercising more and eating better. While these goals are part of the journey toward being healthier, we overlook a key aspect: addressing our mental health.
In the past, physical and mental health care have often been separated, but just like New Year’s Eve is incomplete without a countdown, whole-person care is incomplete when our mental health is not considered.
Enter collaborative care, an approach where mental and physical health concerns are addressed in tandem. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, 1-in-5 U.S. adults experience mental illness each year and the CDC reports 42% of U.S. adults have two or more chronic conditions.
These statistics show that millions of Americans deal with both mental and physical health concerns at the same time. When problems arise, many turn to their primary care physician. Physical symptoms like sleep difficulties, aches and pains, upset stomach and headaches could also be symptoms of mental health conditions.
Unfortunately, stigma still exists around mental illness. People may not know how to bring up their mental health concerns with their doctors or feel uncomfortable doing so. This is where collaborative care comes in. Physicians can open the door for patients to be honest and forthcoming about their challenges.
A primary care physician can help normalize discussing mental health and share the benefits of mental health treatment simply by asking patients about their stress levels and moods. The primary care physician can consult with and connect patients to mental health providers if a patient needs further support. This team approach to physical and mental health care is beneficial as it helps to address the patient’s needs.
With the patient’s permission and involvement, everyone stays informed about progress and the care plan.
Research has shown that collaborative care helps to improve overall health outcomes. With collaboration, we see earlier detection and treatment of severe and chronic conditions; as a result, patients often receive more effective and less invasive treatments. Individuals get better more quickly by using this team approach.
When one aspect of a person’s health improves, their health in other areas also tends to improve; a rising tide lifts all boats.
Additional studies show that 58% of Americans report feelings of financial anxiety. With collaborative care, not only do overall health outcomes improve, but there is also a reduction in the cost of care. A Kaiser Family Foundation survey found that 41% of adults have some kind of health care debt.
A collaborative approach decreases the need for costly hospital stays when physical and mental illnesses are identified and treated early.
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With all these benefits, how can we make collaborative care more accessible? First, your primary care physician can screen for symptoms of mental health conditions like depression and anxiety and connect patients with mental health providers if needed. Next, partnerships with clinicians or employing mental health providers in the primary care physician’s office can help increase opportunities to consult on cases.
It can also reduce the time it takes for patients to be seen after referrals are made. In the same vein, mental health professionals can encourage their clients to have routine physicals so their primary care doctor can potentially rule out medical issues as the root cause of symptoms. Finally, individuals can request that their providers communicate about their case and share records between offices.
As you start your resolutions in the new year, consider taking stock of how you’re feeling lately. Maybe your goals should now include calling your primary care doctor for your physical appointment or contacting a therapist. Your future, healthier self will thank you.
Jessica Carter O’Brien is a licensed mental health counselor with Thriveworks in Jacksonville. She specializes in anxiety, coping skills and life transitions.
This guest column is the opinion of the author and does not necessarily represent the views of the Times-Union. We welcome a diversity of opinions.
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