Mental health issues are surprisingly common. Every year about 20 percent of New Zealanders experience a mental health issue or an addiction. This can include stress, depression, anxiety conditions, drug or alcohol problems, grief, and children and teenage issues such as behaviour problems or bullying.
ProCare's Mental Health Programme is made up of a number of interlinked mental health services. Some are provided by your GP (Engage) or Practice Nurse (Self Management); others are provided by experienced psychologists and psychiatrists at ProCare Psychological Services (PPS). Facilitated Self Management groups are also available in your community. This range of services allows anyone with mental health issues to be managed effectively by their GP practice while accessing specialist intervention and support as required.
- Engage subsidies GPs to provide extendedconsultations to eligible patients. It uses a short questionnaire (see link at right) to identify and determine the severity of a mental health issue. GPs use Engage consultations to manage their patients' mental health or refer them to PPS.
- PPS clinicians offer a variety of services to assist individuals, couples and families with psychological difficulties. Our experienced psychologists and psychiatrists use brief, solution-focused sessions to treat a wide range of mental health issues and enable patients to regain balance in their life. After treatment, patients are referred back to their GP for follow-up.
For more information ask your GP or see www.psychologynz.co.nz
In the case of an emergency - or if you feel you or someone else is at risk of harm - please phone 111.