Behavioral interventions for office-based care: interventions in the family medicine setting

The practice of family medicine includes the care of many patients with mental health or behavior change needs. Patients in mild to moderate distress may benefit from brief interventions performed in the family physician's office. Patients in more extreme distress may be helped by referral to behavioral health clinicians for short-term or open-ended therapies. Electronic therapy programs and bibliotherapy are also useful resources. The transition to the patient-centered medical home model may allow for more widespread integration of behavioral health care clinicians into primary care, in person and through telemental health care. Integrated care holds the promise of improved access, greater effectiveness of behavioral health service provision, and enhanced efficiency of primary care for patients with behavioral health care needs.