Mental and Behavioral Health: Clinical Guidance and Practice Resources

In 2021, an estimated 58 million adults aged 18 and older experienced some form of mental illness within the past year, with 14 million of them facing serious mental health challenges.¹ Additionally, 5 million adolescents aged 12 to 17 had a major depressive episode within the past year.¹ During the same year, approximately 162 million individuals aged 12 or older engaged in the use of tobacco, alcohol, or illicit drugs in the previous month.¹ Primary care physicians play a crucial role in addressing these concerns, serving as the first point of contact for patients seeking help.

This page is a centralized hub for family physicians to locate a comprehensive collection of resources on mental and behavioral health.

Jump to Guidance and Resources by Topic

USPSTF Recommendations
Treatment and Management Recommendations
Managing Your Practice
Implementation Tools and Considerations

Education
AAFP Clinical Practice Guidelines & Recommendations
AAFP Policies and Position Papers

Other Resources
Health Equity
Physician Well-being

IFM | Leading with Resilience: Prioritizing Well-Being for Physician Leaders

May is Mental Health Awareness month, so in this episode Dr. Santina Wheat and Dr. Cynthia Chen-Joea explore the critical importance of physician wellbeing. Drawing from their own experiences with burnout, they offer practical strategies for sustaining joy and balance in family medicine. The conversation highlights the power of simple, everyday actions like brief check-ins and gratitude practices—to combat burnout.

USPSTF Recommendations

The AAFP conducts a thorough review of all recommendations and evidence reports from the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). Unless otherwise specified, the AAFP supports the current clinical preventive services recommendations published by the USPSTF.

VIEW CRITERIA

Anxiety Disorders in Adults: Screening

Anxiety in Children and Adolescents: Screening

Depression and Suicide Risk in Adults: Screening

Depression and Suicide Risk in Children and Adolescents: Screening

Perinatal Depression: Preventive Interventions

Unhealthy Alcohol Use in Adolescents and Adults: Screening and Behavioral Counseling Interventions

Tobacco Smoking Cessation in Adults, Including Pregnant Persons: Interventions

Treatment and Management Recommendations

Teen Suicide Prevention

Treatment of Depression in Children and Adolescents

Excessive Alcohol Use

Tobacco & Nicotine

AAP Blueprint for Youth Suicide Prevention (Supported by AAFP)

Managing Your Practice

Now More Than Ever, Mental Health Care Needs Family Medicine

Unlocking Clues to Current Health in Past History: Childhood Trauma and Healing

Encouraging Health Behavior Change: Eight Evidence-Based Strategies

Screening Your Adult Patients for Depression

Five Mobile Apps to Help Patients with Anxiety and Depression

Implementation Tools and Considerations

Resources

Treating Anxiety and Depression in Primary Care: Reducing Barriers to Access

Managing Behavioral Health Issues in Primary Care: Six Five-Minute Tools

Immediate Action Protocol: A Tool to Help Your Practice Assess Suicidal Patients

Treating OUD as Chronic Condition

Family Medicine Practice Hacks on Behavioral Health Integration

Watch this Practice Hack for strategies to integrate the PHQ-9 screening into your clinical practice. This includes steps you can take to support your patients who may need additional behavioral health resources or follow-up.

Education

Browse the Mental Health section on FamilyDoctor.org for related topics.

AAFP Clinical Practice Guidelines and Recommendations

Depression Following Acute Coronary Syndrome

Opioid Use Disorder (OUD): Screening

Unhealthy Drug Use: Screening

AAFP Policies and Position Papers

Alcohol Advertising and Underage Alcohol Usage

Electronic Nicotine Delivery System (ENDS)

Learner Access to Mental Health Services

Mental Health: Parity in Coverage for Patients

Mental Health: Physician Responsibilities

Substance Use Disorders

Substance Use Disorder Education for Students and Residents

Tobacco Advertising and Labeling

AAFP Position Paper: Marijuana and Cannabinoids: Health, Research, and Regulatory Considerations

AAFP Position Paper: Mental Health Care Services by Family Physicians

AAFP Position Paper: Preventing and Treating Nicotine Dependence and Tobacco Use

Other Resources

In the Trenches: We’re Sharpening Our Focus on Behavioral Health Care

Research Highlights Primary Care’s Role in Mental Health

Check out CDC resources on Suicide Prevention

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

Be The 1 To: Learn the warning signs of suicide with this tool from the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

Behavioral Health Integration (BHI) Collaborative

References

^{1. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Highlights for the 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. 2021 National Survey of Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) Releases. Accessed October 10, 2023. https://www.samhsa.gov/data/release/2021-national-survey-drug-use-and-health-nsduh-releases}