Nonpsychotic morbidity in a general hospital: early detection based on presenting complaint

Patients with nonpsychotic minor mental morbidity frequently present with nonspecific somatic symptoms in primary health care settings. This often leads to inappropriate medical management. In this study a group of nonpsychotic psychiatric patients in a general hospital clinic presented with nonspecific somatic complaints as the reason for seeking medical attention (presenting complaint). It was observed that screening of patients with such a presenting complaint lasting for three months or more could differentiate nonpsychotic minor psychiatric morbidity from physical morbidity with high specificity, positive predictive value, and moderate sensitivity. The practical usefulness of such a screening criterion for the nonpsychiatrist physician in a primary medical care setting is discussed.