Role of the family physician in the care of chronic psychiatric patients; an epidemiological study
Kroon, H.; Hutschemaekers, G.
Nederlands Tijdschrift Voor Geneeskunde 139(34): 1737-1741
1995
ISSN/ISBN: 0028-2162 PMID: 7566241 Document Number: 450109
To determine how many chronic psychiatric patients were treated by mental health care institutions, by general practitioners (GPs) or not at all, and in the last two groups why there was no contact with mental health care. Questionnaire. The district 'West-Friesland' in the Netherlands, a densely populated rural area. GPs and mental health workers checked their practice files on the basis of 6 criteria for the number of chronic psychiatric patients with or without mental health care contact. The response among GPs was 43% and that among mental health institutions almost 100%. A prevalence rate of 4.0 per mill was found for chronic mental disorders. On the reference date (June 30, 1990) 79% of the chronic psychiatric patients was in the charge of mental health care, 15% of GPs, 1% of other institutions and 5% were not taken care of (the last percentage was probably underestimated). The support the GP gave was of the same frequency as the support of the ambulatory mental health care. The three main reasons for support by GPs, without contact with mental health care, were patients denying psychiatric problems, patients lacking motivation for supplementary help and the possibilities the GPs saw to support the patients themselves. An important minority of the chronic psychiatric patients were supported by a GP only. In half of these cases the GP thought he could continue to provide the mental care needed.