In recent years, more emphasis has been placed on mental health care after many states were found to have inadequate resources. Although there have been improvements, many people still find accessibility is an ongoing concern. There are ways you can make outpatient care more accessible.
Strategize With Your PCP
One of the hurdles many people face with depression treatment is affordability. Regular visits to a psychiatrist can be expensive, even with insurance. Additionally, many of the visits to a psychiatrist are only 15-minute medication checks after your initial screening. Whenever possible, your primary care physician (PCP) can be an important liaison between you and the psychiatrist. Many PCPs have a basic knowledge of psychiatry and will even prescribe medications for certain mental health conditions. Your PCP may be willing to try a few different anti-depressants and if you are treatment-resistant or they believe you need stronger medications, they will refer you to a psychiatrist. Instead of seeing your psychiatrist every month for medication checks, your doctor might be willing to do your medication checks so you only see the psychiatrist every other month or if other issues arise.
Check Multiple Resources For Therapy
Therapy is an important part of depression treatment, but it can be harder for people to find a therapist, especially if they are having to invest most of their resources in medication. Since there are many forms of therapy that can be helpful when dealing with depression, it is not always necessary to see a psychologist. Other options include counselors, therapists, or social workers. Although they have different backgrounds and different roles in mental health care, it does not mean each type of mental health professional cannot be equally valuable in your treatment. The option you choose might depend on what is more affordable or gives you the most sessions covered by your insurance.
Try Virtual Professionals
For people with insurance, they may only be covered for eight to 12 sessions of therapy each calendar year. It is not uncommon to need more intensive treatment, such as weekly sessions. If this is not an option, talk with your therapist about spacing out appointments and utilizing virtual resources for therapy. There are mental health options, such as professionals by phone, virtual chat, and mobile apps that might be a more affordable option between visits to your regular therapist. Talking with virtual professionals is an excellent solution when you need to talk to someone about issues that pop up throughout the week or an issue you forgot to discuss during your normal session.
Accessibility can be one of the biggest hindrances in receiving adequate mental health care for depression. Being a little creative with your care will make it easier to receive consistent outpatient care for depression. Contact a service, like Shore TMS, for more help.
Share19 September 2018
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