The introduction of a mental health component into primary health care

Abstract

Despite the growth and scope of primary health care services throughout the world, mental health has tended to be a neglected area and has remained the preserve of highly specialized -and generally centralized- hospitals and institutions. This book highlights the considerable benefits to a community's general health of integrating a mental health component into the primary health care system, so that patients with mental and psychological problems and those with physical problems are treated within the same health facilities. Indeed, it stresses particularly that many psychological disorders can be the cause of, or result from, physical complaints. Above all, perhaps, the book concentrates on the potential of primary health care workers to identify and manage certain priority conditions, and on the rationalization that this would allow in the work of more specialized health personnel and facilities

In discussing the need to descentralize mental health care services, the book also deals with the infrastructurenecessary to support the services and with training in the additional skills that would be required of health personnel at all levels. The importance of clearly formulated national mental health policies is emphasized, as are the need to involve the community in planning new services and the significant contributions