Evidence for Mental Health and Substance Use Practice Change Strategies

There are many barriers to the identification and treatment of behavioral, mental health, and substance abuse problems in primary care, including but not limited to lack of time, confidence, and resources.^1,2 The American Academy of Pediatrics has developed outstanding guidelines and tools to address these challenges.^3,4 In this issue of Pediatrics, Patel and colleagues report on a robust systematic review of studies examining implementation strategies designed to increase the delivery of screening and counseling for mental health and substance use disorders for children and adolescents seen in primary care.⁵