Question

What are ways to better support patients in the United States that suffer from mental health issues when there is limited government funding or insurance coverage for mental health treatment?

Answer 1

Current models of care and treatment approaches does not meet the global crisis of mental health care.One of the frightening situation is that, sub-urban, semirural and rural areas of US, where most of the psychiatrists are nearing the age of retirement. Therefore, training of other health care practicioners in basic psychotherapy techniques has become the need of the hour. Prescription of psychopharmacologic regimens for common psychiatric disorders will become an essential future strategy for expanding access to mental health care. There should be a collaborative care model in which patients receive medical and mental health care in the same clinic setting. The collaborative care model at the national level aimed at patient-centered care focusing on primary prevention of mental illness and wellness. Leveraging collaborative care in primary care settings throughout geographic regions and providing individualized interventions that prioritize speciality in mental health care for the most severely ill and impaired patients will improve both medical and psychiatric outcomes.