Preventive Medical Care in Psychiatry

Book excerpt: Preventive Medical Care in Psychiatry: A Practical Guide for Clinicians was written for psychiatrists in training and in clinical practice, as well as other health care providers who wish to learn an evidence-based and user-friendly approach to prevent commonly encountered, treatable, and potentially deadly illnesses in their patients. The poor health and early mortality of people with serious mental illnesses has been well documented: People who have serious mental illness have increased general medical comorbid conditions, receive minimal preventive medical services, and have a reduced life span of as much as thirty years when compared to the general population. In addition, there is now extensive data showing bidirectional interactions between chronic medical illnesses and mental disorders. Clearly, treating the whole person, instead of the disorder in isolation, is critical to improving outcomes and reducing suffering. The book's logical structure makes it easy to use, with sections devoted to general principles of preventive psychiatry, cardiovascular and pulmonary disorders, endocrine and metabolic disorders, infections disorders, and oncologic disorders. In addition, the volume: Provides evidence-based approaches to care across the prevention spectrum, from primary prevention (how to keep people healthy), to secondary prevention (how to detect early signs of common illnesses), through tertiary prevention (how to prevent disability and adverse outcomes once patients develop medical problems). Informs clinicians about how to more effectively interface with general medical practitioners, and instructs them in providing screening for common medical problems, as well as ensuring that preventive measures, such as vaccinations, are performed. Covers, in a section addressing "special topics," child, adolescent, and geriatric populations, as well as strategies for assessing and managing chronic pain. Concludes with an appendix that features a health questionnaire, Preventive Medicine in Psychiatry (PMAP), for use in screening and follow-up, and a handy summary of age based preventive medicine recommendations, references to which clinicians will return repeatedly. The Affordable Care Act has provided mental health practitioners with new opportunities to develop integrated models of care that better serve patients and populations, furthering the existing trend of treating the whole patient. Preventive Medical Care in Psychiatry: A Practical Guide for Clinicians is a critical resource which will prove indispensable to clinicians dedicated to improving the quality of life and longevity for patients who suffer from serious mental illness. Twenty-five percent of royalties help support Resident-Fellow Members (RFM) within the California Psychiatric Association.