The role of primary care physicians in the treatment of patients with long-term mental disorders

Abstract

By contrast with the numerous publications on minor psychiatric morbidity in general practice, very little attention has been paid to people with long-term mental disorders presenting in primary care settings. This continuing neglect by both clinicians and research workers remains surprising in view of the growing movement towards community care for people with mental disorder. In the meantime, chronic, long-lasting and non-curable disorders account for a quarter of the patients consulting in general practice and mental disorder represents the third most frequent of these conditions after hypertension and rheumatic conditions. Almost 10% of patients seen in primary care settings suffer from chronic mental disorders with some degree of functional impairment. Affective disorders have the highest rates of occurrence but psychotic, anxiety and personality disorders contribute the greatest proportion of severe disability. These chronic disorders are associated with chronic physical ill health and a range of so...