WORLD FAMILY DOCTOR DAY 2025 - MENTAL WELLNESS

 World Family Doctor Day 2025. - Dr. C.V.Alert MB BS, DM., Family Physician.

“We are all just prisoners here, or our own device”. - The Eagles, from”Hotel California”, 1972.

World Family Doctor Day is on May 19 every year. Founded by the World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA) in 2010, World Family Doctor Day has grown into a global celebration of the importance of family doctors in health care. World Family Doctor Day 2025 will highlight the vital role family doctors play in mental wellness, emphasizing our ability to care for our patients.

The rise in mental illnesses today has many possible explanations. Modern stressors such as economic pressures, social isolation, and the pervasive influence of technology have also contributed to the growing prevalence of mental health challenges. Global events like the COVID-19 pandemic have further exacerbated these issues, highlighting the urgent need for accessible mental health care. While advancements in diagnosis and treatment have improved, the demand for mental health services often outpaces availability, emphasizing the importance of continued efforts to address this global concern.

Mental illness can affect some ‘normal’ persons, who are overwhelmed by everyday situations that push them into anxiety or depression. Today, people have fewer friends and less time for interacting and are less likely to engage in activities that bring them into contact with other people. “You are not alone, but you may be lonely”. Recent research has linked chronic loneliness/social isolation to depression, dementia and even early death.  Mental illness can affect some persons who choose to use and abuse drugs like alcohol, marijuana and cocaine.  And mental illness can affect some individuals who, perhaps because of a genetic predilection, develop diseases like schizophrenia or a bipolar disorder. Sometimes symptoms of mental health appear as a physical problem, such as stomach pain, back pain, headaches, or other unexplained aches and pains.

Family doctors provide many areas of patient care, including routine examinations such as well-baby and child care, vaccines, screening for the multitude of ‘silent killers’ that have infiltrated Caribbean populations, healthy lifestyle counseling, and treatment of common chronic illnesses. Importantly, the family physician can also be the point of first contact with the health services for persons with stress related and other mental health issues, especially in an environment of a shortage of mental health professionals. The family physician can function in other roles too, such as sports medicine, as well as public health and public health education. These doctors provide general care and, when necessary, consult with other specialists.

Benefits of having a Family Physician.

A doctor is not just a person you think of when you are sick. It is equally important to focus on staying healthy, and this includes both physical and mental health. Patients who see their family physicians regularly and over a long period are better taken care of than those who don’t. A long-term relationship with a family doctor means that he or she gets to know you, your family, and your health care needs. Because your family doctor keeps your medical records, he or she can better organize your care.

 Family doctors are dedicated to long-term care.

·    Family doctors are dedicated to providing long-term care for you and your family. They identify and treat you as a whole person. They are your initial point of contact with the health care system. Patients can receive care from their family doctors not only in their offices, nursing homes, but even the patients’ homes.

·       They can handle many a health issue. The family doctor may be the only doctor who offers preventive care. To keep you from getting sick, they give importance to your efforts to stay healthy.

·    Having a family physician is beneficial to your well-being. Studies have shown that individuals who have a good relationship with their family doctors are more likely to have better health outcomes.

·       Family doctors collaborate or consult with specialists and other health care providers, when necessary.

·  Family doctors, along with mental health professionals like psychologists and psychiatrists, have the training to improve the quality of mental health care for patients and increase patients' access to behavioral health services. Further, the stigma associated with mental illnesses discourages many persons (or their families) from seeking help from some types of mental health specialist, but may feel more comfortable visiting a family doctor.

• Family medicine fosters mental wellness through trust and continuity of care. Family doctors are uniquely positioned to promote mental wellness due to its emphasis on long-term relationships, continuity of care, and patient-centered approaches. Through early intervention, lifestyle medicine, and a holistic understanding of patients' lives, we family doctors can identify and manage mental health challenges before they become crises.

·         The most profound impact a family doctor can have for a struggling patient is to listen, deeply and without judgment. Acknowledging suffering is the first step towards healing, followed by exploration of meaning. By offering compassionate support and realistic hope, family doctors help their patients navigate difficult times and move toward recovery.

• Mental health is about resilience and adaptability. The goal of family doctors is to equip our patients with the ability to navigate life's challenges.

 World Family Doctor Day 2025 will highlight the vital role family doctors play in mental wellness.  Family doctors are encouraged to improve the quality of mental health care for patients and increase patients' access to behavioral health services.