Today I am joined by Dr Johanna Lynch, GP, completing a PhD in primary care mental health assessment, post graduate training in grief and loss and a special interest in trauma and attachment.

At least 1 in 8 consults in GP is related to mental health and this is increasing. According to the World Health Organization, unipolar depressive disorders alone were ranked as the third leading cause of the global burden of disease in 2004 and will move into the first place by 2030.

Upskilling in mental health care is crucial in all areas of GP, not just classic mental illness but also in behaviour change, giving difficult diagnosis and managing treatments and expectations.

What i love about talking with health professionals are their varied interests and developed skills. Johanna is a GP who has dedicated her life to mental health, and she is a treasure trove of wise analogies and useful resources.  As usual we barely scratched the surface.   The learning never stops...

 

Further reading:

Australian Society of Psychological Medicine (ASPM) - https://www.aspm.org.au/

CORE assessment tool = Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation - Outcome Measure http://www.coreims.co.uk/About_Measurement_CORE_Tools.html https://www.sussex.ac.uk/webteam/gateway/file.php?name=core.pdf&site=322

Mood Assessment Program (MAP) - https://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/education-training/health-professionals/mood-assessment-program

Internal Family Systems - Dr Richard Schwartz -https://www.selfleadership.org/