Mental health resources
Clinical resources
The RACGP provides the following links as a resource for GPs, but does not formally endorse the use of the tools and proformas. GPs are advised to review and familiarise themselves with any new resource or tool before implementing in practice.
Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS)
ICD-10 Chapter V: Mental and behavioural disorders
Guidelines
Guidelines for preventive activities in general practice ('Red Book')
Provides evidence based guidelines, including for psychosocial screening in general practice.
Putting prevention into practice ('Green Book')
Provides strategies for implementing preventive activities in the general practice setting.
National guide to a preventive health assessment in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
Provides screening recommendations for mental health and suicide prevention in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Education resources
gplearning
The RACGP's online training arm, gplearning has a number of high quality professional development activities relating to mental health, including depression, psychosis, bipolar disorder, and substance use.
check program
The check Program is one of the longest running and most successful self education programs in the history of Australian general practice.
Locate mental health professionals
Psychologists
The Australian Psychological Society operates an expanding referral service of psychologists: under the link to 'Find a psychologist' at www.psychology.org.au
Occupational therapists
OT Australia continues to compile a list of eligible occupational therapists (OTs) accessible via their website at www.ausot.com.au
Social workers
Social workers are easily located through the Australian Association of Social Workers website, grouped by Division of General Practice, and with professional biographies available online at www.aasw.asn.au
Psychiatrists
The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists has a database that GPs can search for psychiatrists by geographical location or by specialty area, available at www.ranzcp.org/resources/find-a-psychiatrist.aspx.
GP providers of FPS
Currently, no centralised list of GP providers of FPS exists. Divisions of general practice often have this information, or the Beyondblue 'Directory of Medical and Allied Health Practitioners in Mental Health' allows health professionals and the public to search for medical practitioners with an interest in mental health.
This directory can be accessed from the Beyondblue website at www.beyondblue.org.au
Resources for GP's mental health
Doctors may do well at managing the health care of their patients, but are not always particularly good at looking after their own needs. The RACGP is involved in a number of programs that aim to support improved self care by GPs.