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Primary Care Doctors are Critical to Detecting Mental Illness in Children The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI ) recently released a survey on family experiences with primary care doctors who treat children and adolescents living with serious mental illness - exposing a broad gap between family needs and practitioner knowledge and resources.
"Most Americans rely on family doctors and pediatricians for early detection of mental illness and in many cases treatment," said NAMI executive director Michael Fitzpatrick. "We also know there is a critical shortage of more than 20,000 child and adolescent psychiatrists nationwide."
"Family dependence on primary care for mental health needs is especially great in smaller communities and rural regions. Primary care professionals need to be prepared to meet the challenge."
Findings include:
- Sixty-three percent of families reported their child first exhibited behavioral or emotional problems at 7 years or younger.
- Only 34 percent of families said their primary care doctors were "knowledgeable" about mental illness; 17 percent said "somewhat."
- Fifty-nine percent said their primary care doctors were not knowledgeable about mental health treatment.
- Sixty-four percent said their primary care doctors were not knowledgeable about local resources and supports for families.