Mind and body: We can’t treat primary care and mental health as disconnected systems

Dr. Brock Chisholm : Mental health and physical health remain distinctly siloed.

We need to more tightly align primary care and mental health services within our health care system, he says.

People with mental health conditions are less likely to seek medical care, he writes.

Alvin McLean , PhD , is dean of the JFK School of Psychology and Social Sciences at National University .

McLean: Colleges can help improve this connection by providing students with practicum, internship opportunities and program concentrations that integrate these two closely-linked disciplines.

Better integrating behavioral and physical health care can help to improve patient outcomes, decrease health care costs, and dismantle the pervasive stigma surrounding mental health.