“Family physicians as key agents in integrating mental health services into primary care.”
LPC
February 2026
Larry Green, MD; Bonnie Jortberg, PhD; and Emma Gilchrist, MPH/MSPH—faculty in the University of Colorado Anschutz Department of Family Medicine and leaders at the Farley Health Policy Center —recently published an article in The Lancet Primary Care titled “Family physicians as key agents in integrating mental health services into primary care.”
The article emphasizes that family physicians are often the most accessible clinicians, especially in low- and middle-income countries where mental health specialists are scarce. Their long‑term relationships with patients uniquely position them to identify concerns early, deliver evidence‑based treatment, coordinate with specialists when necessary, and ensure continuity of care.
From the article:
“The integration of mental health services into primary care is a practical way to help people with mental health conditions. However, it requires more than clinical competence. It demands dismantling stigma and embedding mental health care into routine practice. A person attending a clinic for diabetes or hypertension should expect to have their psychological wellbeing assessed as routinely as their blood pressure or blood sugar. Family physicians can normalize these conversations, making mental health care a standard part of primary care, rather than an additional service. Importantly, mental health conditions affect more than just the person experiencing them. Family physicians are crucial in supporting affected families and caregivers, using a systems-oriented, family-centered approach.”
Read the full article in The Lancet Primary Care.
(Cover photo credited to Siri Stafford from The Lancet Primary Care.)
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