Comment: Where to start when you need mental health care

The best place to start is with your primary care provider, who can refer you to the proper next steps.

By Mia Wise / For The Herald

We need to do more to address the mental health crisis we’re facing.

In 2022, more than 19 percent of adults experienced a mental illness, according to Mental Health America. This is the equivalent to nearly 50 million Americans. Unfortunately, almost a quarter of all adults with a mental illness reported that they were not able to receive the treatment they needed. This number has not declined since 2011.

We need to break down barriers to seeking care and normalize that it is OK not to be OK. Your mental health is just as important as your physical health, and it is critical to seek care for your mental health.

But knowing where to start can seem daunting. What’s the right level or type of care? Talking with your primary care provider is often the best place to start with your mental health as well.

Physical health conditions, particularly with chronic illness, can cause or exacerbate mental health symptoms. For example, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people with diabetes are 20 percent more likely than those without diabetes to have anxiety at some point in their life.

Your trusted primary care provider knows your history, health and can help guide your best treatment plan. Medication, talk therapy or a combination of both might be appropriate depending on the condition. Many primary care providers are experienced in treating mild to moderate mental health conditions and can offer guidance if you need to seek additional care.

This is why we have adopted a whole-health approach at Kinwell Medical Group. Our clinics, which include ones in Snohomish County, provide primary care and behavioral health services. During a routine primary care visit, if the patient presents signs of mental distress or expresses concerns over their mental health, the primary care physician can coordinate an initial consultation with a behavioral health specialist on that same visit.

Another barrier to care for many people is the difficulty attending in-person appointments. For some, transportation can be an issue, finding a provider in their area can be a challenge or they feel more comfortable talking to someone in a familiar space. People living in rural areas often face a shortage of providers, particularly those specializing in behavioral health care. This can lead to long waitlists or trouble finding a provider who matches a person’s preferences.

There are several virtual care, or telehealth, options available, which offer broader access to care. These include video, phone, and text-based apps that connect people with doctors or therapists. To remove barriers around in-person care, many clinics offers virtual care to patients wherever they are located in Washington. The most important step you will take in your mental wellness journey is the first one. Remember that it can take some time to feel better. The process is different for everyone, and having a trusted provider who understands you and your health is invaluable.

Dr. Mia Wise is president and chief medical officer for the Kinwell Medical Group, with clinics in Lynnwood and Mill Creek and throughout Washington state.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Opinion

toon
Editorial cartoons for Tuesday, July 8

A sketchy look at the news of the day.… Continue reading

A Volunteers of America Western Washington crisis counselor talks with somebody on the phone Thursday, July 28, 2022, in at the VOA Behavioral Health Crisis Call Center in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Editorial: Dire results will follow end of LGBTQ+ crisis line

The Trump administration will end funding for a 988 line that serves youths in the LGBTQ+ community.

toon
Editorial: Using discourse to get to common ground

A Building Bridges panel discussion heard from lawmakers and students on disagreeing agreeably.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) speaks during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol on Friday, June 27, 2025. The sweeping measure Senate Republican leaders hope to push through has many unpopular elements that they despise. But they face a political reckoning on taxes and the scorn of the president if they fail to pass it. (Kent Nishimura/The New York Times)
Editorial: GOP should heed all-caps message on tax policy bill

Trading cuts to Medicaid and more for tax cuts for the wealthy may have consequences for Republicans.

Alaina Livingston, a 4th grade teacher at Silver Furs Elementary, receives her Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine at a vaccination clinic for Everett School District teachers and staff at Evergreen Middle School on Saturday, March 6, 2021 in Everett, Wa. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Editorial: RFK Jr., CDC panel pose threat to vaccine access

Pharmacies following newly changed CDC guidelines may restrict access to vaccines for some patients.

Comment: Students can thrive if we lock up their phones

There’s plenty of research proving the value of phone bans. The biggest hurdle has been parents.

Dowd: A lesson from amicable Founding Foes Adams and Jefferson

A new exhibit on the two founders has advice as we near the nation’s 250th birthday in the age of Trump.

Was Republicans’ BBB just socialism for the ultra-rich?

It seems to this reader that the recently passed spending and tax… Continue reading

GOP priorities are not pro-life, or pro-Christian

The Republican Party has long branded itself as the pro-life, pro-Christian party.… Continue reading

Comment: $100 billion for ICE just asks for waste, fraud, abuse

It will expand its holding facilities, more than double its agents and ensnare immigrants and citizens alike.

toon
Editorial cartoons for Monday, July 7

A sketchy look at the news of the day.… Continue reading

Comment: Supreme Court’s majority is picking its battles

If a constitutional crisis with Trump must happen, the chief justice wants it on his terms.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.