Perceptions of psychological problems in general practice: a comparison of general practitioners and psychiatrists

All general practitioners and psychiatrists working in a single health district were sent a questionnaire on their perceptions of the prevalence of psychological problems among patients consulting in general practice. One hundred and twenty-one GPs (75%) and 10 (83%) psychiatrists responded. GPs and psychiatrists agreed that up to 20% of consulting patients were likely to be clinically depressed; they also agreed on the most appropriate management, although GPs tended to be more conservative than psychiatrists would advise on making use of hospital services. GPs, however, believed non-specific psychological problems to be significantly less common than did psychiatrists. This expectation may help explain the reported failure of GPs to diagnose all psychological problems identified by formal psychiatric instruments.