A primary care doctor seeks to know his patients and we ask if this is a good idea? Of course it is a good idea. I think it's a very clumsily written piece, hopefully his patient interactions are a little smoother. But the fact that he shows genuine interest in his patients' lives is at the heart of the primary care relationship. It would be dangerous and unethical yes to try to perform true analytical psychotherapy in this situation yes but I can assure you that a primary care physician is not only trained but indeed obligated to counsel patients on potential risks to both their mental and physical health.

Additionally two symptoms or health history items that may seem unrelated to each other to some may actually be the key to accurate diagnosis and treatment.

I hear so often how people want medical providers to treat them as whole people, not as a list of diagnoses. This doctor does just that.