General Practitioners

When Australians seek professional support for mental illness, many will first approach their General Practitioner.*

GPs are in a prime position to assist patients with mental illness and their families. Taking a family focus in general practice can aid the recovery of patients who are parents with a mental illness, promote the resilience of their children and support the entire family unit living with the challenges that mental illness can bring.

Advice for GPs

• What you can do

• Guidelines flowchart

Other helpful resources

• Australian General Practice Network
• COPMI articles in the Medical Journal of Australia
• RACGP Mental Health
• GP Psych Support
• Free eLearning courses
• Evidence & Evaluation Resources

*Australian Bureau of Statistics. National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing: Summary of results, 2007. Canberra: ABS, 2009. (ABS Cat. No. 4326.0.) http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/4326.0 (accessed Feb 2012).