Open AccessThe mental health clinic: a new model
Author(s) -
FAVA GIOVANNI A.,
PARK SEUGN K.,
DUBOVSKY STEVEN
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
world psychiatry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 15.51
H-Index - 93
eISSN - 2051-5545
pISSN - 1723-8617
DOI - 10.1002/j.2051-5545.2008.tb00192.x
Subject(s) - medicine , biopsychosocial model , mental health , reimbursement , psychiatry , medical prescription , psychosocial , anxiety , health care , psychotherapist , nursing , psychology , economics , economic growth
The role of psychiatrists into public mental health clinics has been hampered by a perceived restriction of the psychiatrist's role to prescribing and sign-ing forms, limiting opportunities to engage in the kind of integrated care that attracted many physicians to this specialty. We propose a revision of the current model in a direction that maximizes the expertise of this specialist as well as other clinicians in the health care team. The basic unit would consist of a psychiatrist (with adequate background both in psychopharmacology and psychotherapy), an internist and four clinical psychotherapists, who may provide evidence-based treatment after the initial evaluation of the psychiatrist. Its functioning would emphasize repeated assessments, sequential combination of treatments, and close coordination of team members. Re-invigorating the role of the psychiatrist in the context of a team in which role assignments are clear could result in better outcomes and enhanced recruitment of psychiatrists into the public sector.