Integrating health and mental health: opportunities in undergraduate health programs.

Abstract

A common goal of mental health professionals is to increase the degree of integration of mental health within the primary health care system. Achieving interpretation of mental health within the larger health care system requires teaching diagnostic and treatment skills, as well as a value orientation which ascribes greater importance to mental health and mental health problems. Teaching a new value orientation is best introduced early in one's educational career rather than postponing such intervention until post-graduate medical residency programs. Results of a survey are presented which indicate the variable mental health content included in undergraduate health related programs. The goal of greater integration between mental health and health can clearly be furthered by beginning to teach this critical value orientation in undergraduate health programs.