Integrative Nursing: A Framework for Whole-Person Mental Health Care

Abstract

The incidence of mental illness continues to increase since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic (Mental Health America, 2022). Demand for mental health services has grown, and providers report being “unable to meet the demand” or having an increase in wait times for access to care (American Psychological Association, 2022, para. 1). Due to this increase in demand, more patients are seeking mental health care from their primary care providers. Over the past decade, integrative models of care have been expanding into mental health care (Lake, 2017). Integrative Nursing is a strategy for improving the quality of care provided to patients seeking care for mental health diagnoses, as well as those with a goal of increasing mental health and wellbeing. This article proposes that Integrative Nursing can serve as a framework for providing whole-person mental health care.