Mental and Behavioral Health: Clinical Guidance and Practice Resources

In 2021, an estimated 58 million adults aged 18 and older experienced some form of mental illness within the past year, with 14 million of them facing serious mental health challenges.¹ Additionally, 5 million adolescents aged 12 to 17 had a major depressive episode within the past year.¹ During the same year, approximately 162 million individuals aged 12 or older engaged in the use of tobacco, alcohol, or illicit drugs in the previous month.¹ Primary care physicians play a crucial role in addressing these concerns, serving as the first point of contact for patients seeking help.

This page is a centralized hub for family physicians to locate a comprehensive collection of resources on mental and behavioral health.

Jump to Guidance and Resources by Topic

USPSTF Recommendations
Treatment and Management Recommendations
Managing Your Practice
Implementation Tools and Considerations

Education
AAFP Clinical Practice Guidelines & Recommendations
AAFP Policies and Position Papers

Other Resources
Health Equity
Physician Well-being

IFM | Leading with Resilience: Prioritizing Well-Being for Physician Leaders

May is Mental Health Awareness month, so in this episode Dr. Santina Wheat and Dr. Cynthia Chen-Joea explore the critical importance of physician wellbeing. Drawing from their own experiences with burnout, they offer practical strategies for sustaining joy and balance in family medicine. The conversation highlights the power of simple, everyday actions like brief check-ins and gratitude practices—to combat burnout.

Implementation Tools and Considerations

Watch this Practice Hack for strategies to integrate the PHQ-9 screening into your clinical practice. This includes steps you can take to support your patients who may need additional behavioral health resources or follow-up.

Education

Browse the Mental Health section on FamilyDoctor.org for related topics.

AAFP Clinical Practice Guidelines and Recommendations

Depression Following Acute Coronary Syndrome

Opioid Use Disorder (OUD): Screening

Unhealthy Drug Use: Screening

AAFP Policies and Position Papers

Alcohol Advertising and Underage Alcohol Usage

Electronic Nicotine Delivery System (ENDS)

Learner Access to Mental Health Services

Mental Health: Parity in Coverage for Patients

Mental Health: Physician Responsibilities

Substance Use Disorders

Substance Use Disorder Education for Students and Residents

Tobacco Advertising and Labeling

AAFP Position Paper: Marijuana and Cannabinoids: Health, Research, and Regulatory Considerations

AAFP Position Paper: Mental Health Care Services by Family Physicians

AAFP Position Paper: Preventing and Treating Nicotine Dependence and Tobacco Use

Other Resources

In the Trenches: We’re Sharpening Our Focus on Behavioral Health Care

Research Highlights Primary Care’s Role in Mental Health

Check out CDC resources on Suicide Prevention

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

Be The 1 To: Learn the warning signs of suicide with this tool from the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

Behavioral Health Integration (BHI) Collaborative

References

^{1. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Highlights for the 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. 2021 National Survey of Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) Releases. Accessed October 10, 2023. https://www.samhsa.gov/data/release/2021-national-survey-drug-use-and-health-nsduh-releases}