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Letters to the Editor
Published Online: 20 December 2024

Primary Caring

Publication: Psychiatric News
Volume 60, Number 1
https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.pn.2025.01.1.1
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Letters to the Editor

Readers are invited to submit letters of not more than 350 words for possible publication. Psychiatric News reserves the right to edit letters and publish them in any of its formats—print, electronic, or other media. Receipt of letters is not acknowledged. Letters should be emailed to [email protected]. Clinical opinions are not peer reviewed and thus should be independently verified.
I enjoyed “Editor’s Desk” [by Editor in Chief Adrian Preda, M.D.] in the November issue of Psychiatric News. As a retired psychiatrist, I appreciated the reminders of what I need to keep in mind with my volunteer work at our community free clinic.
One thing I would add is to take the time to consult with and coach your primary care colleagues who may be caring for the same person. I have always enjoyed encouraging my colleagues to consider and to implement some behavioral health interventions. ■
GEORGE CHAPPELL, M.D.
Olympia, Washington

Dr. Preda responds:

I appreciate Dr. Chappell’s thoughtful reflections on my editorial “A Letter to My Junior Psychiatrist Colleagues.” Dr. Chappell’s experience as a retired psychiatrist volunteering at a community free clinic adds a valuable perspective on extending psychiatric care beyond traditional settings.
I agree with Dr. Chappell that general psychiatrists should aim to routinely consult and coach our primary care colleagues. On the psychiatrist’s side, such collaborations keep us grounded in medicine, serving as reminders of the relevance of the medical contributors to mental distress.
At the same time, as mental health needs continue to outpace specialist availability, educating primary care providers about behavioral health perspectives and interventions is crucial. And psychiatrists are ideally positioned to do so. Most importantly, it is through a collaborative approach that we can expand access to mental health care and integrate behavioral and physical health services—ultimately benefiting our patients. ■

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Go to Psychiatric News
Psychiatric News
Volume 60 • Number 1 • January 1, 2025 – January 31, 2025

History

Published online: 20 December 2024
Published in print: January 1, 2025 – January 31, 2025

Keywords

  1. Psychiatry residency training
  2. Primary care
  3. Collaborative care model
  4. Behavioral health intervention

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