Behavioral health advocacy in primary care
The AAFP recognizes that U.S. behavioral health is in crisis and advocates to improve patient access to behavioral health service.
Most people with mental health conditions are diagnosed and treated in the primary care setting, and family physicians—who receive high-quality training in behavioral health—are well positioned to address their patients’ mental well-being.
Why behavioral health is a public health priority
Americans who need access to behavioral health care face a troubling barrier: There aren’t enough psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers and other mental health professionals.
More than 139 million Americans live in mental health professional shortage areas. Meanwhile, as many as half of the people in the United States will develop a mental health disorder in their lifetime.
AAFP members need robust investment in an array of resources to support this work and for policies that accelerate adoption of integrated behavioral health care into family medicine practices.
Public health impacts
This is a crucial fight. More than 14 million American children and adolescents have a diagnosable mental health disorder, with CDC data indicating that suicide is the second-leading cause of death for people ages 10 to 24. Studies also show that women of color and women living in medically underserved communities experience higher rates of postpartum depression and are at higher risk of maternal mental health conditions.
Primary care physicians are likely to be the first point of contact for these and other patients. Against a backdrop of increasing behavioral health deserts, family physicians may be the only source of such care for those of lower socioeconomic status or with co-morbidities. Bolstering primary care resources is essential to improving care access for the 139 million Americans living in mental health professional shortage areas as well as for Black and Hispanic individuals less likely than white individuals to receive care for mental illness.
AAFP advocacy in action
The Academy pushes for federal and state laws and regulations that will improve patient access to behavioral health services, including the diagnosis and treatment of depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance use disorder and other mental health concerns.
The AAFP also advocates for improved payment for these services, investments in training and education for physicians to integrate behavioral health into their practices, and other measures to better facilitate and reimburse key care needs such as the following:
Medication-assisted treatment for substance use disorders
Mental and behavioral health services for children and adolescents
Maternal mental health care
Care-coordination efforts with other behavioral health clinicians
Recent AAFP communications
Joint communications with other organizations
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