It’s Up to Us: Addressing Mental Health in San Diego County

Do you have a family member or friend with a psychiatric illness? Most of us do, and all of us have patients with mental illness, often not recognized or treated.

As you may know, the Health and Human Services Agency, as part of our new Health Strategy Agenda, is committed to increasing our focus on prevention and early intervention and to working with community partners to improve the overall level of health of our entire population.

As a significant part of that effort, I’m pleased to let you know that our agency is launching It’s Up to Us, a major media campaign designed to help people recognize symptoms of mental disorders in themselves, friends, and family members; to reassure them that mental illness is both common and treatable; and to encourage them to seek help.

It’s especially up to us as physicians to listen carefully and to respond appropriately when patients ask questions or express concerns about emotional and cognitive issues. Most of us are not experts on mental illness, but when a patient feels comfortable enough to approach the topic, don’t we all want to be able to address their concerns to the best of our abilities? It’s every doctor’s goal to provide patients with good options for getting help.

It’s Up to Us will provide resources specifically for physicians. The website —UP2SD.org/medical — offers tips for talking with patients about their concerns, information on recognizing warning signs of mental illness, helpful fact sheets, and a host of other resources to provide patients the guidance they need.

Modeled after Big Pharma’s detailing approach, experts from our new Ambassador Program will visit physician offices throughout San Diego County to deliver materials, including screening kits, a resource list, and posters and flyers that can be displayed in waiting areas and exam rooms. If an ambassador hasn’t visited your office yet, or if you need additional information or materials, please visit UP2SD.org/medical to make a request. An ambassador will respond within 72 business hours, delivering materials to your office manager, or speaking with you directly if you prefer.

Please ask your office staff to welcome our ambassadors, to engage them with any questions, and to take and use the resources that will be made available. This is also an opportunity for all of us to become more aware of the warning signs of mental disorders and to assure that they are on our radar screens when we see our patients.

Regardless of our specialties, as physicians we all want to reduce suffering and contribute to our patients’ overall health. There are many opportunities to detect significant psychiatric illnesses in a wide variety of medical practices, and to make appropriate referrals. Our ambassadors want to make this as easy for you as possible.

Physicians can help in specific ways:

• Display It’s Up to Us posters and flyers prominently in waiting areas and exam rooms. This will desensitize patients and show them that you are open to discussing psychiatric symptoms without embarrassment or discomfort.
• Visit the physician portal at UP2SD.org/medical to access other resources.
• Review the primary warning signs of mental disorders and watch for them when you can.
• Listen attentively and ask questions when mental health symptoms are broached. Mental illness might not be your specialty, but it is your concern.
• Be prepared to have your office provide active assistance when a patient needs help:
  • Starting Sept. 1, 2010, refer patients to the It’s Up to Us line at (800) 479-3339. It’s easy!
  • When appropriate, refer your patients to a qualified psychiatrist or psychologist for assessment.
  • Encourage patients to access the It’s Up to Us website at UP2SD.org for further information.
• If you suspect that a patient might be suicidal, urge him or her to call the Access and Crisis Line at (800) 479-3339, which is available 24/7.

As this important mental health campaign proceeds, an increasing number of San Diegans will become aware of the signs of mental illness and the importance of asking for help. Many of them will — appropriately — look to us for guidance. Let’s be certain that we’re prepared to listen, ask questions of our own, and point them toward the resources they need for further information and treatment.

Together, we have enormous potential to help the patients we serve. Thank you in advance for your participation.