DPC physicians are uniquely equipped to care for the whole person—mind included.
In primary care, mental health is everywhere; it may present as fatigue, a vague headache, even sleeplessness. Often showing up quietly, it’s tangled in everyday complaints, and more often than not, missed in the exam room.
According to Dr. Arielle Radin Pulverman of Bruin Health, over 70% of primary care visits are driven by psychological concerns—anxiety, depression, trauma, chronic stress. Yet, in many settings, those issues go unrecognized, or they’re pushed downstream to another provider.
Direct Primary Care (DPC) can change that equation.
When patients trust you, and you’re not racing the clock, there’s room to ask better questions, and to stay in the room long enough to hear the answers.
Dr. Pulverman, who spoke alongside Dr. Phil Boucher on mental health integration at Hint Summit 2024, put it simply:
“Primary care clinicians are often the first, and sometimes only, point of contact for people struggling with mental health.”
That means you can do more than write a referral—you’re in a position to catch signs early, normalize the conversation, and become a steady partner in care.
And in DPC, you’re equipped to do just that. You’re not limited to one issue per visit, you don’t have to choose between coding for depression or ordering a CBC. You can talk about the real issues—how a patient is sleeping, the weight of caregiving, or how stress is showing up in their body.
Integrating mental health into your practice doesn’t require a massive system overhaul. It can start with small, intentional steps that fit naturally into your workflow:
The key isn’t necessarily to become a mental health expert; rather, it’s to let your patients know their mental health matters here, and that you see them.
In traditional models, a patient might wait months to get in with a mental health provider, if they go at all. In DPC, you can shorten that gap, helping them to feel heard before their state of mental health escalates. You can offer consistency, guidance, and check-ins that are often missing in episodic care. Most importantly, you can build the kind of relationship where a patient feels safe being transparent and honest. That alone can make a world of difference.
Being a physician is deeply personal as you often build long-term relationships with patients while simultaneously pouring your heart into building a business. DPC helps restore autonomy and joy in practice, but the emotional load is still real. You carry stories, shoulder uncertainty, and care deeply. Let this Mental Health Awareness Month also be a reminder to check in with yourself. Mental health awareness applies to you, too.
Take the walk, block the hour, delegate the task. Give yourself the same grace you offer your patients.
Mental health isn’t separate from primary care—it’s part of it. And you don’t need a separate system or a behavioral health team to start making an impact. Watch the full Hint Summit session: Mental Health Is Primary Care.
Let’s make space for the conversations that matter—this month, and every month.