GP counselling role for mental health patients urged

People with mental health problems should be offered more choice of services when they visit their GP than just being given drugs, says the mental health charity Mind. It has launched a campaign timed to coincide with the creation of the new primary care trusts.My Choice highlights the fact that only half of all GP practices have any counselling services attached and that prescribing of anti-depressants has more than doubled in the past 10 years.The 178 respondents to a Mind survey listed counselling, group therapy, art, music and drama therapy, psychotherapy and aromatherapy as their top alternatives to medication.