Mental Health Information

Co-payments are higher for specialists, so patients might go to pcp's to save money

The insurers plan for mental health care may not offer much coverage, so patients may be reluctant to use them on symptoms which might turn out to be nothing.

That's a consequence of capital-centric system for health care funding.

In the interview Allen Frances suggests patients seek help from pcp's when symptoms aren't profoundly disruptive. They would probably get to a mental health clinic if their symptoms were profoundly disruptive but when symptoms are not profound patients end up reporting less obvious symptoms. Allen suggests getting such subtle presentation right is some of the most difficult diagnostic work done in psychiatry...pcp's are at a real disadvantage.