Health Services
General
Practitioner (GP)
GPs are often the first point of contact with
the health services when someone begins to
experience mental ill health. GPs help
people with health problems or related matters.
They can also put you in touch with community
nurses or with a medical specialist such as
a psychiatrist.
Community Psychiatric Nurse (CPN)
When someone in the family has a mentalillness, the CPN may offer support to the whole family.
They will keep an eye on the person's well being and arrange
for any specific help they might need in relation to their illness.
District/Community Nurse
District/community nurses are based at
GP practices or health centres and can be contacted through the GP.
They visit people at home and offer help and advice on practical and
medical problems.
Occupational Therapist
Occupational therapists
advise people with mental health problems and their carers about
practical care, such as help with shopping, cooking or budgeting.
They also assess people and their carers for services they might need.
They may be based in the community or in a hospital.
Psychiatrist
Psychiatrists are specialists in mental
ill health and are generally based in psychiatric hospitals.
Your GP can arrange for a referral to be made to a psychiatrist.
Some people may need to be admitted to hospital, while others may
see a psychiatrist as an outpatient or as a day patient.
Psychologist
Psychologists are
specialists trained to understand the way people think and feel and the
way they behave. They are not doctors and do not prescribe drugs. They
help people to change the way they cope with life and support those
recovering from health or personal problems to adjust back to normal
life.
Community Mental Health Teams
Many professionals concerned
with mental health issues now work together in community mental
health teams. These may include psychiatrists, community psychiatric
nurses, social workers, psychologists and occupational therapists.