Tuesday 11 December 2018

Treating an issue the size of mental health shouldn’t be trial and error – but it’s going that way for GPs

Treating an issue the size of mental health shouldn’t be trial and error – but it’s going that way for GPs If you spend any time reading or watching the news, you will not be a stranger to the great work being done to break down the stigma around mental illness. As a former GP, who regularly had to make the difficult diagnoses of mental health conditions, what we really need is help for these professionals who are for many, the first port of call.

We still don’t really know what causes many mental illnesses. There are a number of risk factors; some about the context of people’s lives, others more biological or about how people think, but one risk factor plus another does not equal being unwell.

How can it be treated? And while it may seem ambitious – how can it be prevented? I wasn’t surprised to see that recent figures from mental health research charity MQ reveal that 8 out of 10 GPs feel it’s trial and error to find a mental health treatment that works for patients. The Independent

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