Family Medicine is Where Mental Health Care Starts, With Teresa Lovins, MD

"Nationally, the prevalence is striking: about 50% of people will experience some form of mental health issue in their lifetime," Teresa Lovins, MD, told Patient Care recently. "And in our practices, roughly 1 in 4 patients who walk through the door are actively dealing with a mental health concern."

Lovins' own experience as a family practitioner and physician owner of Lovin My Health DPC, in Columbus, Indiana, closely matches evidence showing that mental health concerns make up a substantial portion of primary care visits. A 2024 nationwide analysis of over 350 million patient encounters found that nearly 12% of all primary care visits specifically addressed a mental health condition, and almost half of all patients consulted their family physician for a psychological issue at some point.¹ The analysis identified common presentations, which include depression, anxiety, sleep disturbances, ADHD in children, and memory problems in older adults, though clinicians also see substance use issues, acute stress reactions, and developmental concerns.¹

Primary care providers now deliver up to 60% of all mental health care, including medication management and brief interventions,² highlighting their role as the front line for identification and management of these conditions.

In the short video above, taken from a longer conversation with Lovins, she emphasizes that given the regular and often lifelong contact family physicians have with many of their patients, they are quite frequently the first professionals to learn that "something is going on."

The following transcript has been lightly edited for style and clarity.

I think family medicine is really the starting point—and often the first contact—for so many patients dealing with mental health concerns. We get to know patients from the beginning and often follow them throughout their lives. Because of that relationship and continuity, people feel comfortable coming to us first when something is going on.

In fact, up to half of our visits touch on mental health in some way. That can include depression, anxiety, ADHD, bipolar disorder, substance use disorder—really the full spectrum of conditions that fall under mental health. Our training prepares us to recognize those symptoms and to begin treatment or connect patients with the care they need.

Nationally, the prevalence is striking: about 50% of people will experience some form of mental health issue in their lifetime. And in our practices, roughly one in four patients who walk through the door are actively dealing with a mental health concern. The challenge and responsibility for us is identifying those patients and making sure they receive appropriate, effective care.

References

1. Casp A, Huots RM, Moffitt TE, et al. A nationwide analysis of 350 million patient encounters reveals a high volume of mental-health conditions in primary care. Nat. Mental Health. 2024;2: doi:10.1038/s44220-024-00310-5

2. Assessing primary care contributions to behavioral health: a cross-sectional study using medical expenditure panel survey. J Prim Care Community Health. 2021;12. doi:10.1177/21501327211023871