Psychiatry and Primary Care

In this month's issue, we focus on psychiatry and primary care. Many psychiatric disorders are managed in the primary care setting. Thus, the integration of psychiatric care with primary care services is critical. An article on the patient-centered medical home and mental health home models discusses improving healthcare coordination among physicians and other clinicians, providing a team-based approach to care. Drs. Lee Robinson and Hanna Stevens, respectively, have contributed articles on psychiatric care in pediatric primary care. Dr. Erika Ruth discusses treating perinatal depression in obstetric/gynecological care, where some women also receive primary care services. Finally, in a Psychiatry Case Conference, Drs. Kendhari, Bains, and Campbell focus on adverse effects of psychotropic medication as well as the integration of psychiatry and internal medicine in recognizing and treating these side effects. We hope that these articles will encourage psychiatry residents to work with primary care physicians in delivering collaborative psychiatric and primary care.