A broad diagnostic framework to simplify the approach to mental disorders in primary care

Overemphasis on detailed classification of a psychiatic disorder at a primary level assessment may be unhelpful and prone to error. True rigour demands a continuous process of hypothesis formation that guides further enquiry. A simple categorisation of priority conditions provides a useful framework for a process. This approach has been set out by the World Health Organization (WHO) Mental Health Gap Action Program (MHGAP) Intervention Guide, which can then be adapted for use in the South African context. This then provides the basis for further enquiry and risk assessment at the initial consultation.