Mental Health
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Primary health care practitioners include a wide range of health professionals including GPs, primary health care nurses, community health workers, pharmacists, and community counselling and psychological services.
Primary health care practitioners’ role in the provision of mental health services is to ensure that individuals return to their normal mental and physical state by diagnosing and consequently managing the mental health problem.
The GPs in the Primary healthcare settings also often provide additional services including resolving family issues through community workers, budgeting, social services, education and income support services that can be provided and delivered through traditional healthcare clinics, marae and community venues or local and religious groups.
Mental health is more than the mere absence of mental illness. It is about a person’s psychological, social and behavioural functioning within their world and their sense of ease with this. It encompasses a person’s feelings, coping strategies and satisfaction with the various aspects of their life, and the extent to which their spiritual and cultural needs are met. Improving a person’s mental health depends on the provision of appropriate health services as well as the broader social, economic and cultural environments.
Studies show that 20 percent of the community will have a mental health problem in any one year around. Not all these people will seek help; nor do they probably need to. However, in the event that they do seek help, most people will seek help from a primary health care practitioner, because mental health and physical health are inextricably linked.
MENTAL HEALTH CARE at ETHC
East Tamaki Healthcare team is committed to providing high quality treatment, tailored to the individual needs of our patients by drawing on individuals with different areas of expertise. In addition, we work with other staff and specialists within our group as well as patients, families, volunteers and external partners to provide comprehensive, integrated mental health treatment and support.
East Tamaki Healthcare provides a wide range of mental health services to its communities. Its strong, interdisciplinary team works collaboratively in providing mental health care through the life span. It provides a wide range of mental health services that may include services relating to alcohol and other drugs, personal and family problems and gambling, to a large number of people.
Treating mental health patients
GPs engage and support participation from service users and their families/whänau in care plans and approaches to managing mental illness at home and/or in the community. It is important for a GP to build positive relationships with the patient and their family while delivering primary mental health services.
