Source: American Academy of Family Physicians

In this episode of Inside Family Medicine, Shannon Connolly, MD, FAAFP, associate medical director at the Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino Counties, discusses family physicians’ crucial role as the first and sometimes only point of contact for mental healthcare, especially in underserved settings.

She explains how psychosocial and behavioral factors underlie many primary care challenges, such as complex pain, substance use disorders, and uncontrolled chronic disease. Connolly shares a patient story illustrating how integrated support (therapy, social work, and appropriate medications) improved both mental health and diabetes outcomes. She outlines behavioral health integration models, including physician-delivered care, co-located primary care behavioral health, and the registry-driven collaborative care model, highlighting benefits for patient outcomes and physician workload.

The conversation also addresses access barriers, telehealth as a scaling strategy, and the importance of destigmatizing physicians seeking mental healthcare to combat burnout, depression and anxiety.

Listen today!