PM2088: Closing the Mental Health Gap for Primary Care Physicians in Pediatric Community Health Centers

Background: With the COVID-19 pandemic, mental health care needs have increased in our youth, requiring management by pediatric practitioners. This project utilized a survey to inform the development of an electronic educational resource to aid community pediatric providers in the mental health treatment of patients in the District of Columbia and surrounding areas.

Methods: We administered a questionnaire assessing provider referral practices, comfort with identification/treatment of commonly encountered mental health conditions, and barriers to addressing them among pediatric providers at two community-based medical homes in Southeast, D.C. Frequency analyses and a binomial test of proportions were performed to assess response trends and statistically significant deviances in educational preferences.

Results: 44 providers (89%) responded to the survey, including residents, fellows, attendings, and nurse practitioners. 23 providers (52%) encountered mental health concerns daily, 37 providers (84%) agreed that it is their role to identify and manage mild to moderate mental health disorders, but only 11 providers (22%) felt comfortable initiating treatment for common mental health concerns. ADHD (72%) and depression/mood disorders (35%) were most commonly encountered, and on-site referral to mental health services was the most common management (93%). 39 providers (89%) acknowledged insufficient training, experience, or knowledge in managing mental health concerns, and 40 providers (91%) felt that further mental health training would be helpful with statistically significant preference for a resource incorporating treatment/diagnosis algorithms, medication reference guides, and didactic sessions (p < 0.05).

To address this mental health gap, we developed an electronic educational resource integrating best practice management guidelines, handouts, and recorded virtual didactic sessions led by a mental health specialist accessible through an online platform. This is a multi-phase, interdisciplinary study intervention. Preliminary results and analysis of practitioner responses to the first phase of the intervention will be presented at the forum.

Conclusion: This electronic educational resource will serve as a model for delivery of mental health education in primary care to increase patient access to mental health resources and contribute to the innovative developments of mental health integration in pediatrics.