a joint report of the who and world organization of family doctors who and wonca stresses the importance of preservice andor inservice training of primary care workers on mental health as an essential prerequisite for mental health integration and reducing the treatment gap for mental health the inclusion of mental health training for such primary care level practitioners is common in many oecd countries oecd a and with the development of this new specialty japan has the valuable opportunity to effectively integrate mental health training for generalists from the beginning specifically provision for mildtomoderate disorders at the primary care level can be strengthened appropriate primary carespecific prescribing and treatment guidelines and appropriate specialist referral options have been shown to be effective treatment approaches for mildtomoderate disorders