By Ben Hartman
Contributing Writer, MedPage Today
Originally published February 7, 2014
Demand -- for both facilities and providers -- has long outpaced supply in the field of mental health, but recent moves to increase funding for mental health services combined with innovative delivery systems may reverse that trend.
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But money is not the only issue: many PCPs lack the needed psychiatric training, according to Jaseu Han, MD, residency director of the combined family medicine/psychiatry program at the University of California Davis Health System.
"There has to be a behavioral component to all residencies. There is a ton of talk about the value of patient-physician interactions, but the residents are not receiving psychiatric training. If you look at internal medicine, Ob/Gyn, pediatrics, and family medicine, they don't get anything. There is no requirement during residency to get any mental health experience."
The entire story is here.
Editorial note: This article points out another reason psychologists with advanced training and supervision in psychopharmacology can bridge the gap as prescribing psychologists.
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