Skip to main content
Log in

Consulting with mild symptoms in general practice

  • Published:
Social psychiatry Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

Studies of factors associated with self-referral to general practitioners are reviewed including demographic, social and psychological variables. Recent work by the authors has attempted to determine the extent to which symptom severity is a necessary link in the chain of association between psycho-social factors and self-referral.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • AshfordJR (1972) Patient contacts in general practice in the National Health Service. Statistician 21: 265–289

    Google Scholar 

  • BalintM (1968) The doctor, his patient and the illness, 2nd ed. Pitman, London

    Google Scholar 

  • BanksMH, BeresfordSAA, MorrellDC, WallerJJ, WatkinsCJ (1975) Factors influencing demand for primary medical care in women aged 20–44 years: a preliminary report. Int J Epidemiol 4: 189–195

    Google Scholar 

  • BeresfordSAA, WallerJJ, BanksMH, WaleCJ (1977) Why do women consult doctors? Social factors and the use of the general practitioner. Br J Prevent Soc Med 31: 220–226

    Google Scholar 

  • BrownGW, SklairF, HarrisTO, BirleyJLT (1973) Life-events and psychiatric disorders, Part I: some methodological issues. Psychol Med 3: 74–87

    Google Scholar 

  • BrownGW, HarrisT (1978) Social origins of depression. Tavistock, London

    Google Scholar 

  • CartwrightA (1979) Minor illness in the surgery, Ch. 9 In Management of minor illness, King's Fund Publishing Office. Pitman, London

    Google Scholar 

  • CoelhoGV, HamburgDA, AdamsJE (1974) Coping and adaptation. Basic Books, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • CohenJ, CohenP (1975) Applied multiple regression/correlation analysis for the behavioural sciences. Erlbaum, New Jersey

    Google Scholar 

  • FouldsGA (1976) The hierarchical nature of personal illness. Academic Press, London

    Google Scholar 

  • FouldsGA, BedfordA (1977) Personality and coping with psychiatric symptoms. Br J Psychiatry 130: 29–31

    Google Scholar 

  • FouldsGA BedfordA (1978) Delusions-symptoms-states inventory (DSSI). NFER Publishing Company, London

    Google Scholar 

  • FreerCB (1980) Self-care: a health diary study. Med Care 18: 853–860

    Google Scholar 

  • GoldbergD (1978) Manual of the general health questionnaire. Slough: National Foundation for Educational Research, London

    Google Scholar 

  • GoldbergD, HuxleyP (1980) Mental illness in the community: The pathway to psychiatric care. Tavistock, London

    Google Scholar 

  • GradJ, SainsburyP (1963) Mental illness and the family. Lancet I: 544–547

    Google Scholar 

  • HannayDR (1979) The symptom iceberg. Routledge Kegan Paul, London

    Google Scholar 

  • HulkaBS (1972) Determinants of physician utilization. Med Care 10:300

    Google Scholar 

  • InghamJ (1981) Neurosis: disease or distress? In: BebbingtonP, WingJK, RobinsLN (eds) What is a case? Problems of definition in psychiatric community surveys. Grant McIntyre, London

    Google Scholar 

  • InghamJG, MillerPMcC (1976) The concept of prevalence applied to psychiatric disorders and symptoms. Psychol Med 6: 217–225

    Google Scholar 

  • InghamJG, MillerPMcC (1979) Symptom prevalence and severity in a general practice population. J Epidemiol Commun Health 33: 191–198

    Google Scholar 

  • InghamJG, RawnsleyK, HughesD (1972) Psychiatric disorder and its declaration in contrasting areas of South Wales. Psychol Med 2: 281–292

    Google Scholar 

  • KellnerR (1963) Family ill health. Tavistock, London

    Google Scholar 

  • KesselWIN (1960) Psychiatric morbidity in a London general practice. Br J Prevent Soc Med 14: 16–22

    Google Scholar 

  • McArdleC, AlexanderWD, Murray BoyleC (1974) Frequent attenders at a health centre. Practitioner 696–702

  • MayoPR (1969) Women with neurotic symptoms who do not seek treatment. Br J Med Psychol 42: 165–169

    Google Scholar 

  • MechanicD (1962) The concept of illness behaviour. J Chronic Dis 15: 189–194

    Google Scholar 

  • MechanicD, GreenleyJR (1974) The prevalence of psychological distress and help-seeking in a college student population. Soc Psychiatry 11: 1–14

    Google Scholar 

  • MillerPMcC, InghamJG, DavidsonS (1976) Life events, symptoms and social support. J Psychosom Res 20: 515–522

    Google Scholar 

  • Office of Population Censuses and Surveys (1977) General Household Survey, London

  • ParsonsT (1951) The social system, Ch. X. Free Press, Glencoe

    Google Scholar 

  • PolliakMR (1971) The relationship between Cornell medical index scores and attendance rates. J R College Gen Pract 21: 453–459

    Google Scholar 

  • RoghmanKJ HaggertyJ (1972) Family stress and the use of health services. Int J Epidemiol 1: 279–286

    Google Scholar 

  • RyleA, HamiltonM (1962) Neurosis in fifty married couples. J Ment Sci 108: 265–273

    Google Scholar 

  • TesslerR, MechanicD, DimondM (1976) The effect of psychological distress on physician utilization: a prospective study. J Health Soc Behav 17: 353–364

    Google Scholar 

  • WadsworthMEJ, ButterfieldWJH, BlaneyR (1971) Health and sickness. Tavistock, London

    Google Scholar 

  • WadsworthMEJ (1974) Health and sickness. J Psychosom Res 18: 271–276

    Google Scholar 

  • WadsworthMEJ InghamJG (1981) How society defines sickness. In: ChristieMJ, MalletPG (eds) Foundations of psychosomatics. Wiley, Chichester

    Google Scholar 

  • WattsCAH (1962) Psychiatric disorders. In: Morbidity statistics from general practice, Vol III: Disease in general practice. Res Comm Council Coll Gen Prac, Stud Med Popul Subjects No 14. Her Majesty's Stationary Office, London

    Google Scholar 

  • WeissmanMM, KlermanGL (1977) Sex differences and the epidemiology of depression. Arch Gen Psychiatry 34: 98–111

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Additional information

Most of the material in this paper was previously published in: Clinical psychology and medicine: a behavioural perspective, edited by C. Main and published by Plenum, New York (1981)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Ingham, J., Miller, P. Consulting with mild symptoms in general practice. Soc Psychiatry 17, 77–88 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00583447

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00583447

Keywords

Navigation