Abstract
Studies of the prevalence, natural history, and outcome of unrecognized mental illness in general medical outpatient settings were reviewed. Approximately half of the patients with a psychiatric disorder were not recognized as having a mental illness by their primary care physician. The natural history of unrecognized mental illness suggests a poorer clinical course of anxiety disorders but not for depressive disorders. Most interventions demonstrated a significant improvement in the physician's ability to identify and treat psychiatric disorders but had a minimal effect on patient symptoms and no effect on short-term health care use. Although primary care physicians do not recognize psychiatric disorders in a high percentage of patients, efforts to improve recognition may not lead to decreased patient suffering or decreased health care costs.
Keywords
MedicineNatural historyMental illnessAnxietyPsychiatryPsychological interventionPrimary careMental healthDepression (economics)Family medicineInternal medicine
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Publication Info
- Year
- 1994
- Type
- review
- Volume
- 3
- Issue
- 10
- Pages
- 908-917
- Citations
- 182
- Access
- Closed
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Cite This
Edmund S. Higgins
(1994).
A review of unrecognized mental illness in primary care. Prevalence, natural history, and efforts to change the course.
Archives of Family Medicine
, 3
(10)
, 908-917.
https://doi.org/10.1001/archfami.3.10.908
Identifiers
- DOI
- 10.1001/archfami.3.10.908