Our current mental health care system isn’t addressing patient needs and concerns.
Of patients seeking standard care for depression or other mental health conditions, only between 55% and 75% feel that their treatment was at least somewhat helpful (Harris 2020). When patients are prescribed an antidepressant, only 50% end up taking the medication as recommended (Sansone 2012).
Functional medicine has the potential to fill this need and help our patients move beyond symptom management.
Data has established that mental health conditions often have roots in biochemical and physiological conditions, or imbalances that can be measured and addressed. Identifying these nutrient deficiencies, hormonal imbalances, disturbances in the gut flora, inflammatory conditions, genetic abnormalities, and toxicities can provide insight into the underlying causes of poor mental health.
Unfortunately, functional and integrative medicine training for mental health care is lacking throughout the country and the world. While there are reputable programs providing general functional and integrative medicine, the need for precision-based, functional training specifically for mental illness is often overlooked.
Simply put, providers are not receiving the training required to adequately address mental health concerns. It’s time we enhance traditional training with functional medicine approaches to better equip mental health providers.
Providers deserve better training and treatment tools. Patients deserve personalized care and better treatment options.
Over my long career in psychiatry practicing functional medicine, I can attest to the markedly better treatment outcomes that can be achieved through nutritional psychiatry and a broader functional approach. When standard medicine is combined with functional assessment and treatment, true relief is possible.
This is why I founded Psychiatry Redefined—to provide mental health providers with training that reshapes care and delivers hope for recovery at long last.
I encourage you to join this movement to transform mental health care, and explore our courses, Fellowship and resources. Our mental health care system needs more compassionate providers dedicated to personalized patient care.
Yours in health,
James Greenblatt, MD
Ready to apply functional medicine in your practice?
Ready to improve patient outcomes?
Learn more about our Fellowship!
The Psychiatry Redefined Fellowship in Functional & Integrative Psychiatry provides the most scientific, comprehensive, practical, and convenient education available in functional and integrative psychiatry.
Master the functional medicine skills to help your patients find lasting wellness and balance. Learn the latest diagnostic protocols and clinical tools to apply immediately in your practice. Discover how to create treatment plans that address infections, toxins, genetics, lifestyle, and other biomarkers. Plus, train and collaborate regularly with renowned experts in the field.
References
Harris MG, Kazdin AE, Chiu WT, et al. Findings From World Mental Health Surveys of the Perceived Helpfulness of Treatment for Patients With Major Depressive Disorder. JAMA Psychiatry. 2020;77(8):830-841. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2020.1107
Sansone RA, Sansone LA. Antidepressant adherence: are patients taking their medications? Innov Clin Neurosci. 2012;9(5-6):41-46.
GBD 2017 Disease and Injury Incidence and Prevalence Collaborators. Global, regional, and national incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability for 354 diseases and injuries for 195 countries and territories, 1990-2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017 [published correction appears in Lancet. 2019 Jun 22;393(10190):e44]. Lancet. 2018;392(10159):1789-1858. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(18)32279-7
Butryn T, Bryant L, Marchionni C, Sholevar F. The shortage of psychiatrists and other mental health providers: Causes, current state, and potential solutions. Int J Acad Med. 2017;3(1):5-9.
Yang C, Wardenaar KJ, Bosker FJ, Li J, Schoevers RA. Inflammatory markers and treatment outcome in treatment resistant depression: A systematic review. J Affect Disord. 2019;257:640-649. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2019.07.045
Syed EU, Wasay M, Awan S. Vitamin B12 supplementation in treating major depressive disorder: a randomized controlled trial. Open Neurol J. 2013;7:44-48. Published 2013 Nov 15. doi:10.2174/1874205X01307010044
Lake J, Turner MS. Urgent Need for Improved Mental Health Care and a More Collaborative Model of Care. Perm J. 2017;21:17-024. doi:10.7812/TPP/17-024
Bellows J, Young S, Chase A. Person-focused care at Kaiser Permanente. Perm J. 2014;18(1):90-91. doi:10.7812/TPP/13-165
Kaiser Permanente. Natural Medicines. Accessed October 15, 2021. https://healthy.kaiserpermanente.org/oregon-washington/health-wellness/natural-medicines
