Tuesday, June 28, 2005

Government asks GPs to do more for mental health (New Zealand) New Zealand Herald story - "The Government wants primary health clinics to take a greater role in diagnosing and treating people with mental illnesses. The call comes in the Government's second mental health and addiction plan, made public yesterday by Health Minister Annette King. One in three general practice patients has had a diagnosable mental illness in the preceding year, a study found. In the same survey, GPs said they had identified mental problems, from severe to mild, in half of the patients. The new 10-year plan comes after a decade of advances in mental health care - following the closure of the big psychiatric hospitals - but also amidst continuing serious problems..."