Results from a recent survey conducted by the American Academy of Pediatrics highlight the important role played by primary care pediatricians (PCPs) in diagnosing and treating mental health conditions among patients. The PCPs surveyed identified some of the main barriers to treatment they experience.

In terms of the role played by PCPs, key results included:

• 97% of PCPs agreed that identifying anxiety and depression is part of their professional responsibility
• Most also agreed that PCPs should be responsible for treatment, including prescribing medications (80%) and referring patients for additional care (96%)
• PCPs further reported screening for symptoms of anxiety (97%) and depression (99%) during visits

Primary care pediatricians may be the first line of intervention for pediatric mental health treatment, but they don’t have to do it alone. Across the country, psychiatry access programs like MC3 serve as a support and guide to PCPs, bolstering their ability to provide behavioral health care to patients. MC3 offers a wide range of resources and training to support providers’ management of pediatric mental health, including:

• Pediatric Resource Library with screening tools, family handouts, and treatment guidelines organized by mental health topic
• Clinical Pearls Video: Anxiety Evaluation & Management
• Video: Depression in Youth: Presentation, Diagnosis, Treatment

Despite the responsibility placed on PCPs, many reported experiencing substantial barriers to treating mental health conditions, including:

• Most PCPs agreed that lack of time (94%) and lack of behavioral health resources (90%) were barriers
• 75% agreed that lack of training in brief interventions, inadequate payment, and lack of training in prescribing medications were barriers
• Most PCPs agreed that long wait times to see a mental health provider (98%), lack of available providers (93%), and available providers not accepting Medicaid (86%) or any insurance (84%) were barriers to referring patients to further care

MC3 reduces these barriers to care and helps reduce the need for higher levels of care through no-cost psychiatric consultation and resources for providers, including:

• Outpatient prescriber consultations connect PCPs directly with child and adolescent psychiatrists who provide diagnostic clarity, medication recommendations, and resources for behavioral health support, including psychotherapy
• Pediatric Psychopharmacology Reference Card provides detailed psychopharmacological information specific to treating pediatric patients
• Billing & Coding Guide ensures prescribing providers are accurately recording their time spent on MC3 psychiatric consultations and other mental health services

Prescribing providers in Michigan can sign up for MC3 consultation or contact us for questions about program services at [email protected].