Mental disorders in primary care: Epidemiologic, diagnostic, and treatment research directions

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Abstract

An extensive series of investigations over the past 2 decades clearly demonstrate that mental disorders are present in approximatelty 25% of primary care patients and that physicians underdiagnose these illnesses. The factors producing this bias are poorly understood and should be focused upon in future research. Also requiring much more study is the efficacy of pharmacologic and psychosocial treatments initially valiadated with psychiatric populations. Clinical trials should determine whether standardized interventions can be utilized with medical patients whose symptom profiles and organic comorbidity may differ from those of psychiatric populations.

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    A brief version of this paper was presented at “Medical Disorders in General Health Care Settings: A Research Conference,” cosponsored by NIMH, University of Washington, and Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound, Seattle, Washington, June 25–26, 1987.

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