mental health disorders, especially depression,
Mental health disorders, particularly depression and anxiety, are among the top five chronic conditions contributing to overall health care costs in the United States and contribute to the global burden of disease in terms of years lived with a disability. It ranks first among1. People with mental illness are more likely to suffer from chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease, asthma, diabetes and cancer, resulting in up to 30 years less life expectancy than adults without serious mental illness. .2.
Family medicine physicians provide most of the physical and mental health care to the community and are uniquely positioned to connect patients to behavioral health and improve their overall well-being. In this context, the UNC Family Medicine Training Program received the HRSA Primary Care Training and Enhancement Grant “Family Medicine Training in Mental and Behavioral Health.” This collaborative effort will help improve outcomes and address the lack of behavioral health resources in many communities.
Mallory-McClester-Brown, M.D., residency director and principal investigator (PI) on the grant, details how this affects these symptoms. “The purpose of this project is to strengthen and expand behavioral health training for residents of the UNC Family Medicine Residency.” A program focused on integrated, interdisciplinary behavioral and mental health care. This will create a workforce skilled in the prevention, identification, diagnosis and treatment of mental health conditions in community-based primary care facilities with a focus on high-need and resource-shortened areas, including rural North Carolina. increases. ”
The project will also address child and adolescent mental and behavioral health issues, including opioid use disorders (OUD), other substance use disorders, and the effects of trauma (such as abuse, gun violence, and adverse childhood experiences). strengthen training and treatment of While promoting human resource development in the aforementioned fields. The resident will work with UNC Psychiatry Dr. Hermann Naphter in a consultation clinic that can refer pediatric and adolescent patients (ages 5-21) with additional psychological concerns.
Training for family medicine residents and teachers is based on a holistic, patient-centered framework that includes a commitment to social determinants of health (SDOH), trauma-based, linguistically and culturally appropriate care. is done.
Linda Meyerholz, Ph.D., UNC Family Medicine Faculty, and Michael Baka-Atlas, M.D., Ph.D., are co-chairs of the grant, and Kelsey Ross-Dew MPH of CHES serves as the project manager. Other stakeholders include Dr. Brianna Lombardi, MSW, and Chair Margaret Helton, MD.
1. https://secureservercdn.net/198.71.233.214/e47.77e.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/OMaW_Tufts-Study_High-Cost-of-Mental-Disorders-1.pdf
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1563985/