May is Mental Health Awareness Month, but the term mental health can mean different things to different people. What is a mental illness? Where does behavioral health fit in? Let’s clear up some definitions that can confound patients and may even discourage people from seeking help.
Mental health defined
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, mental health includes “our emotional, psychological, and social well-being.” Mental health issues have historically been treated by psychologists (with graduate degrees in psychology) and psychiatrists (medical doctors who specialize in mental illness).
Over the past couple decades behavioral health treatment from licensed counsellors has been integrated into the primary care setting. The American Medical Association notes that behavioral health clinicians (trained in graduate school programs) treat “substance use disorders, life stressors and crises, and stress-related physical symptoms.”
“Everyone has mental health needs,” said Dr. Asher Strauss, Kinwell’s director of behavioral health, and a licensed clinical psychologist. “Just like physical health, mental health benefits from regular care and attention. Sometimes we can manage on our own and sometimes we need the support of professionals. By integrating mental healthcare into primary care, we’re offering a new way of connecting with these services.”
The mental and physical connection
There is growing consensus about the connection between mental and physical well-being, a connection that works both ways. Illness and injury can lead to feelings of depression, but anxiety can lead to physical issues like migraines or hypertension. This is why Kinwell takes a whole-person approach to healthcare.
“Many patients who walk through our doors have a behavioral health component to their physical health,” noted Dr. Mia Wise, chief medical officer for Kinwell. “A diagnosis of pre-diabetes can be traced back to a patient’s diet, but the real problem may be depression that is causing them to eat less-nutritious food.”
Kinwell’s longer primary care appointments give clinicians the time to engage patients in a conversation about stress at work or difficult relationships. They may recommend that patients continue this conversation with a behavioral health clinician.
Behavioral health treatment
Behavioral health clinicians typically see patients for occasional challenges that impact quality of life. “We work with patients to address the problems they are facing in their day-to-day lives,” said Dr. Strauss. “That might mean talking about work-life balance, depression, anxiety, challenges in our relationships, managing chronic illnesses, changing our relationship to substances like alcohol or marijuana, and so much more.”
Behavioral health treatment is often delivered in 20- to 30-minute appointments, available online or at select Kinwell clinics. Often patients can see a behavioral health clinician on the same day they visit their primary care clinician. For most patients, working with a behavioral health clinician meets all their behavioral health needs.
According to a 2017 study by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, one in five adults in the U.S. has a mental health or substance use issue. Since the pandemic ended, the need for behavioral health services—especially for children and teens—has only increased. Integrated behavioral health as part of the primary care conversation primary lower barriers, increases access, and normalizes these services, removing the stigma some associate with this treatment.
“Our goal is to meet our patients where they are at, working with them based on how they define health and wellness,” noted Dr. Strauss, “and doing so in the familiar primary care setting, whether a brick-and-mortar clinic or online. These are low-barrier services meant for anyone and everyone at Kinwell.”
If you feel you would benefit from a consultation with a behavioral health specialist, talk to your primary care clinician. Set up an appointment through your MyChart account. New patients can call 833-411-5469.
Kinwell is also offering group classes to teach helpful coping skills for challenging emotions and situations. Classes are open to established Kinwell patients. Click here to learn more.
