Collaborative care models for integrating mental health and primary care

Rachelle Maskell,Marisa Kfrerer,Shannon Sibbald,Anna Rudkovska

doi:10.5206/uwomj.v86i2.1413

Abstract

Background: Mental health service demands in Ontario often result in long wait times and a lack of access to specialized services. As a result, primary care providers are frequently required to provide mental health care for patients with complex diagnoses despite a lack of support or sufficient training. To address these issues, a shift toward collaborative models of mental health care delivery is occurring. Objective: This paper aims to assess whether evidence-based policy recommendations to improve collaborative mental health care are addressed in the recent Patients First documents. Methods: To achieve this, a qualitative analysis was conducted using NVivo10©. Results: While many of the evidence-based policy recommendations were mirrored in the Patients First documents, very few addressed collaborative mental health care directly. Implications: More research is required to fully understand the effects of the implementation of Patients First on mental health systems and services.

Highlights

Mental health service demands in Ontario often result in long wait times and a lack of access to specialized services
There has been an increased focus on the need to reorganize mental health care delivery in Ontario and Canada. This focus on restructuring arguably comes as a response to an increase in patient demand coupled with long wait times or inability to access psychiatric services.[1]
A lack of support for primary care providers to adequately and effectively treat mental health disorders sparked a shift toward collaborative models of care delivery

Summary

Introduction

Mental health service demands in Ontario often result in long wait times and a lack of access to specialized services. This focus on restructuring arguably comes as a response to an increase in patient demand coupled with long wait times or inability to access psychiatric services.[1] These circumstances place increased responsibilities on family physicians to treat complex mental health conditions.[2] A lack of support for primary care providers to adequately and effectively treat mental health disorders sparked a shift toward collaborative models of care delivery.

Objectives

Results

Conclusion