[Needs and proposals for primary care in psychiatry]

Abstract

This paper focuses on primary care in psychiatry, involving both general medical primary care in psychiatric practice and psychiatric primary care in general medical practice. The author illustrates a collaborative model of care, or "Integrated Primary Care" as a possible solution for the problems in general medical primary care in psychiatry. The author describes problems in liaison between psychiatrists and general practitioners, referring to the results of the nation-wide multicenter study on pathways to psychiatric care ("Pathway Study"), which was conducted by Japan Young Psychiatrists Organization (JYPO). The author also reviews literatures on psychiatric education, and adovocates some collaborative models of mental health professionals with other medical professionals, referring to optimal educational methods of psychiatry.