70% of the people with mental health problems in 2015-16 saw a general practitioner. This means that there have been 18 million mental health consultations.
Usually, GPs are often the first point of contact when people are seeking help concerning their mental health. However, such consultations are done due to other reasons. This means that check-ups on mental health are done after physical check-up, general check-up or prescription.
GPs allow the Australian population to have better access, specified and specialised healthcare and even for mental health. GPs could give compassionate care as well as practical advice for patients to have their treatment more efficient.
People can see GPs even without referral and connections can be established over time.
GPs are also specialised in terms of assessing the crucial points in the life of the people wherein seeking help from their condition could be invoked. GPs also monitor the population in terms of their risk of having mental health concerns.
GPs are also capable of targeting both physical and mental health concerns altogether because they understand the correlation of both.
They also understand the complexity of mental health and the possible differences among people who have concern over it. They give the patients a better background regarding their condition and not just giving them a basic understanding of such.
The billings that are generated are the main funding source of clinics. Medicare subsidy could cover some of the billing. However, shorter consultations generate more money.
But such kinds of consultations are not encouraged for mental health because it could not provide the complex care need for such concern.
Moreover, some GPs only focus on their respective fields, lacking in other areas of concern such as mental health. Some patients expressed their disappointment over their consultations with GPs.
The current mental health sector is admittedly complex and fragmented with many more problems concerning its services. Although GPs focus on providing patients with attention in navigating the mental health systems, problems could still be seen throughout.
Moreover, resources for the complete recovery of the patients are either unaffordable or inaccessible. There is a shortage of psychiatrists in the country as well as the facilities that could cater to the mental health needs.
Meanwhile, disadvantaged communities are facing more problems. These communities have higher rates of mental illness but their access is insufficient.
Patients who require mental healthcare should have an empathetic therapeutic relationship to their GPs and the right GP is the only one could provide such.
These tips will give the patient to maximise their consultation with GPs:
1. Make a longer appointment because mental health demands more attention
2. Choose GP carefully
3. Have a supporting friend or relative during consultations
4. Schedule appointments at the beginning or end of the day
5. Consider having a list of medications and therapies that you’ve tried
6. Bring all previous reports from other doctors
7. Examine your family background
8. Be honest and open as much as possible
9. If an interpreter is necessary, let the GP know about it
10. Be patient throughout the process of consultation