Mental Health Week: Resources for GPs

This week is Mental Health Week, and 10 October marks World Mental Health Day.
 
Mental health-related issues are the most common reason patients visit their GP in Australia, and GPs identify this as the health issue causing them most concern for the future.
 
The RACGP provides a number of resources to help inform and guide GPs on treating patients experiencing issues of mental health:

• Guidelines for preventive activities in general practice (Red Book) – includes a psychosocial chapter, detailing preventive activities for mental illness and intimate partner violence.
   
• Abuse and violence: Working with our patients in general practice (White Book) – includes sections on response and counselling strategies for survivors of abuse.
   
• Medical care of older persons in residential aged care facilities (Silver Book) – includes a chapter on diagnosing and managing depression in older patients (the Silver Book is currently being updated).
   
• National guide to a preventive health assessment for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people – includes a chapter dedicated to mental health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, as well as recommendations for screening young people for mental health.
   
• e-Mental health: A guide for GPs – designed to assist GPs with safe patient interventions via online mental health services and tools.
   
• General Practice Mental Health Standards Collaboration (GPMHSC) – a mental health standards group managed by the RACGP, dedicated to ensuring high-quality GP education and training in mental health.
   
• gplearning – offers a range of continuing professional development activities in the area of mental health, from cognitive behavioural therapy to managing youth mental health.

GP resources mental health Mental Health Week World Mental Health Day