This presentation was originally reviewed on May 24, 2022, and broadcast live online on May 26, 2022, from 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM ET. 

This presentation was originally reviewed on November 7, 2022, and broadcast live online on November 9, 2022, from 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM ET. 

Many primary care health professionals feel uncomfortable screening for depression and suicide. The reasons are varied. Some do not feel adequately trained to address mental health issues, others feel these issues are overly complex as well as time and labor intensive within the context of a busy primary care practice. Our four presenters, representing the fields of psychiatry, psychology, and social work, will offer easily implemented screening tools and practices that will help flag patients at high risk for depression and suicide and recommend how to efficiently manage and refer them to the appropriate level of care. As completed suicides climb in the United States, particularly among youth, the elderly, and minority populations, the primary care provider may be the best professional able to identify those at high risk of suicide, especially in light of the finding that most people who complete suicide visited their primary care professional within three to six months of their death. Asking about depression and suicide in primary care can save lives!

This lecture will discuss the progression of psychodynamically-oriented psychotherapy with a patient in the community clinic setting over the course of one year. Through the lens of object relations theory, we will explore how the patient’s early childhood experiences of both hostile and withdrawn caregivers influenced her presenting symptoms and defense mechanisms. We will also examine how countertransference impacted the therapeutic alliance.