Funding outcome

Family physicians are uniquely positioned in the community and are often the first point of contact when health concerns arise. In addition, family physicians play an important role in maintaining and improving public health through health promotion (i.e., focusing on improving health before illness develops). Mental health is now considered to be the number one disease burden by the World Health Organization. Unfortunately, availability of services for mental health and addictions has not matched demand, particularly for vulnerable groups, such as women and children. Based on this information, we propose a change is needed beginning in family medicine training so when community members reach out to family physicians, as the first point of contact for support with health, family physicians are competent and confident in the area of screening, brief interventions, and referral to treatment pathways. As such, the purpose of this research is to better understand the training family residents receive in the area of mental health and addictions and to identify gaps in learning to inform curriculum development.