Mind, the mental health charity, has produced a guide for patients on how to talk to GPs about mental health problems.
The guide says that patients should go to their surgery properly prepared because ‘appointments with a GP or practice nurse are often very short’.
It advises patients to write down what they want to say, give themselves time to get to the appointment and print out information that helps to explain how they are feeling.
It also advises patients to ask for a longer appointment when booking if they have a few things to talk about.
The guide also reassures patients that they can speak to their GP, despite it not always being ‘easy’ to have ‘that first conversation about your deepest feelings with your GP, someone you may hardly know’.
The guide is produced as part of Mind’s #findthewords campaign, and states that around a third of GP appointments are related to mental health.
