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Unlike your weight, cholesterol, or blood pressure, there’s no simple test to tell how you feel. Doctors are using a screening process called PHQ-2 to determine if patients are struggling with anxiety or depression. “It helps us to target who either has issues with depression or who has issues with anxiety, and then we can kind of go a little bit deeper with our interview process,” explained Dr. Juliana Odetunde, a family medicine physician with Lee Health.If a patient is showing signs of anxiety or depression, doctors can ask a psychologist can join their medical visit. “The Lee Health system has partnered with Florida State University College of Medicine in order to expand behavioral health integration to some of the clinical sites. We join the visits with the physicians whenever there is a concern of symptoms of depression, anxiety, stress management, or anything that could have an impact on a patient’s quality of life and treatment,” said Dr. Natalie Rivera, a psychologist with Lee Health.Doctors can then work together to teach patients coping skills and make sure they get the treatment they need. “I think it’s important that you know that this is a place for help,” said Dr. Odetunde.Leaving mental health issues unaddressed can lead to physical health concerns like high blood pressure, headaches, muscle pain, and insomnia. Offering patients full access to medical care to ensure they get the treatment they need.View More Health Matters video segments at LeeHealth.org/Healthmatters/Lee Health in Fort Myers, FL is the largest network of health care facilities in Southwest Florida and is highly respected for its expertise, innovation and quality of care. For more than 100 years, we’ve been providing our community with personalized preventative health services and primary care to highly specialized care services and robotic assisted surgeries. Lee Health – Caring People. Inspiring Care.Visit LeeHealth.org
