Australian GPs will join family doctors around the world as they highlight the crucial services they can provide to people experiencing depression and other mental health issues today on World Family Doctor Day(WFDD).
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP), the peak body for 9 out of 10 Australia’s GPs, has launched a social media campaign to recognise the importance of people with mental health disorders visiting their GP without fear of stigma.
President of the RACGP Dr Bastian Seidel said he hoped this year’s World Family Doctor Day would encourage Australians to go to their GP when feeling depressed or anxious to receive the treatment they need to live healthy, productive lives.
“It is important we remove any stigma associated with seeking help for a mental health issue,” Dr Seidel said.
“People should feel as comfortable seeking treatment from their GP for mental healthcare as they would for a cough or the flu.”
“This campaign aims to raise the profile of GPs as the first port of call for mental healthcare and to celebrate the extraordinary and well qualified people we have working as GPs.”
Tasmanian GP Dr Clare Ballingall, who will be involved in the World Family Doctor Day campaign today, said she chose to be involved in the #letstalk campaign because GPs are uniquely placed to deal with mental healthcare.
“We are privileged to have a trusted relationship with our patients – we will listen, support and provide holistic care,” Dr Ballingall said.
“Mental health is not a sexy subject and it doesn’t attract much attention from Canberra, but for GPs, managing mental health is our bread and butter.”
RACGP members will join the World Family Doctor Day online conversations by sharing a photo of themselves holding up a sign featuring a statistic about depression on Twitter, with each statistic acting as a prompt for other GPs to share their own story, experience or opinion.
Depression is ranked by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the single largest contributor to global disability.
In Australia, it’s estimated that 45 per cent of people will experience a mental health condition in their lifetime.
The RACGP encourages all GPs to join in the celebration of family doctors and emphasise the crucial role they play in helping people experiencing mental health issues to live healthy, happy lives by sharing their stories and advice and using the hashtag #letstalk on social media.
World Family Doctor Day is an initiative of the World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA), a not-for-profit organisation that represents 118 member organisations – including the RACGP – in 131 countries and territories.