UBC Okanagan Researchers Make a Compelling Case for Embedding Psychologists in Primary Health‑Care Teams

When Prime Minister Mark Carney prepares to host the inaugural Canada Investment Summit in Toronto this September, a quiet but powerful study is already making its way into policy circles. Co‑led by researchers at the University of British Columbia’s Okanagan campus, the review, published in Canadian Psychology, pulls together three decades of data to argue that Canada is sitting on a massive, under‑tapped health‑care opportunity: placing psychologists right inside primary‑care offices.

It may sound like a lofty academic idea, but the numbers are hard to ignore. One in two primary‑care visits now involves a mental‑health concern, yet family doctors repeatedly tell us they lack the training, time, or team support to manage this load. As Dr. Michelle St. Pierre, a post‑doctoral fellow and corresponding author, points out, “The model that works—integrated primary care—has been studied for decades. We just haven’t built it here at scale.”

The review doesn’t just present theory; it sketches a pretty stark portrait of the status quo. Roughly two‑fifths of Canadians with a mental‑health condition say they aren’t receiving the care they need, and about 6.5 million people are without a family doctor – the highest rate among Canada’s peer nations. Economically, mental illness already costs the country an estimated $42 billion a year in direct treatment and support, with another $50 billion lost to reduced productivity and absenteeism.

So what happens when a psychologist joins a family‑practice team? Across studies from Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand, a clear pattern emerges:

• Wait times shrink dramatically – a Canadian study noted drops of more than six weeks once a psychologist was on‑site.
• Patient engagement soars, with up to 90 % of referrals to co‑located mental‑health providers completing treatment, far outpacing traditional referrals.
• Outcomes improve – measurable, lasting reductions in depression and anxiety, plus better chronic‑disease management.
• Physicians feel the relief too, reporting lower burnout and higher job satisfaction.
• Costs come down. One economic analysis suggested that every dollar spent on publicly covered psychological services returns roughly two dollars in societal savings.

There’s already a working prototype in British Columbia. Since 2023, the UBCO Student Health Clinic has hosted a registered clinical psychologist one day a week through the Primary Care Psychologist Program – a pilot created by the very authors of the review. The psychologist works side‑by‑side with doctors, spotting mental‑health concerns early and offering treatment before problems spiral.

“What the Primary Care Psychologist Program shows is that the model is not theoretical – it’s a staffing decision waiting to be made at scale,” says co‑author Dr. Lesley Lutes, professor and director of the Centre for Obesity and Well‑Being Research Excellence. She adds, “Our paper is not a critique of any one government. It’s an attempt to put the full evidence base on the table so the next conversation can move faster.”

In short, the evidence is there, the professionals are ready, and the economic logic is sound. What Canada needs now is the political will to turn these findings into everyday practice – a step that could reshape health‑care delivery for millions of Canadians.