Mental health articles

Primary mental health care pgcert primary mental health care practice
If we use a parallel from how we manage physical health problems, we can say that most mental health problems are like an upper respiratory tract infection – they are best treated by the primary health worker. Nonetheless, some severe types of respiratory problem, for example severe pneumonias, may need specialist care. In the same way, most cases of mental illness in primary care can be treated just as well by the primary health worker as by the specialist. The added advantage of receiving care in the primary health setting is that it is less expensive and is more acceptable to most people.
Ideally, you should ask anyone who comes to see you about
their mental health. Simple questions such as the following can
provide an indication about a person’s mental health:
• How have you been feeling recently? I am asking not only
about your physical health, but also your emotions and
feelings.
• Have you been feeling under stress recently? If so, why? How is this affecting your health?
Most people will report no difficulty and you will not have used more than a couple of minutes of your time. For the few who do say they have problems, you can then ask more detailed questions to see whether there is a mental illness. Obviously, this will take more time, but you will also be
helping the person get better. One of the most useful treatment skills in primary care settings is
education about the symptoms.

Advises on when you would need to refer someone with a mental health problem for specialist care. pgcert primary mental health care practice
It is important not to think of mental health and physical health as separate spheres. In fact, mental and physical problems commonly occur together. Just because someone suffers from tuberculosis, it does not mean that he may not also suffer from alcohol abuse. Similarly, just because someone suffers from a mental disorder, it does not mean that she cannot get malaria. The reason to remember this is that once a person has a particular diagnosis, all his complaints are often attributed to that illness.

 

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