“What mental health needs is more sunlight, more candor, and more unashamed conversation.” — Glenn Close
It is well-known that mental and physical health outcomes are deeply interconnected, yet modern health care delivery often prioritizes physical health over mental health. Unfortunately, care that neither emphasizes nor integrates behavioral health care along every step of a patient’s journey can worsen health outcomes overall. Integrating behavioral health care into medical care offers improvement in outcomes that range from chronic conditions to quality of life, from disability to appropriate health care utilization.
ConcertoCare carefully integrates behavioral health into patient care at every opportunity. Whether through behavioral health screenings during an initial Comprehensive Health Assessment, or direct assessment and treatment of several behavioral health conditions, or staff-wide preparedness for suicidal risk, we layer mental health awareness into the full complement of work we do to improve our patients’ lives, leveraging the expertise of clinical social workers and psychiatric clinicians.
Take, for example, the story of a senior woman we'll call "Ms. T" with multiple chronic health conditions (comorbidities), including depression. At 71, she is the proud grandmother of 3, resides with her life partner, and enjoys working in her church during her retirement. She lives with fibromyalgia, sleep apnea, high blood pressure, diabetes, and mild depression. During her Comprehensive Health Assessment, her ConcertoCare provider noted symptoms suggestive of depression, and offered to connect her to a ConcertoCare Social Worker. Her provider ensured that her sleep apnea was adequately treated, that none of her medications could be worsening her mood, and that her routine health maintenance was up-to-date. Ms. T described how, despite her volunteer work and strong social network, she still struggled with depressed mood, low motivation, recurring anxious thoughts, and poor sleep. While meeting with the ConcertoCare Social Worker, Ms. T. expressed a preference not to be referred to a psychotherapist at this time, but instead to continue to work with the Social Worker on pleasurable event scheduling, reframing negative thoughts, and bolstering coping skills. Ms. T.’s antidepressant dose was also optimized by her ConcertoCare provider. Over a period of 6 weeks, she noted improved mood and sleep, and greater motivation in her daily activities. She saw a lowering of her blood sugar readings as she was able to get more exercise, take on new roles at church, and due to resolution of her depression symptoms, ended her work with the ConcertoCare Social Worker feeling hopeful and motivated.
Ms. T’s story exemplifies the power of integrating mental health care into healthcare delivery. It shows the power of the right care, at the right place, at the right time, inclusive of behavioral health, to address multiple areas of individuals’ health, and more importantly, to meaningfully enhance quality of life for those living with chronic conditions.
