Geriatric psychiatry patients' care by primary care physicians

Primary care physicians were surveyed regarding their perceptions from recall of psychiatric disorders in, and their use of treatment approaches for, their geriatric patients. Affective disorders, organic mental syndrome, and generalized anxiety disorders were the three most common problems reported, and they were felt to be among the three most common problems by 89%, 56%, and 39% of the physicians, respectively. The three most common disorders for which they sought psychiatric consultation or referral were affective disorders, "psychosis," and organic mental syndrome, by 61%, 22%, and 18% of the respondents. The use of various psychiatric treatments and various sources of consultation and referral are analyzed and reported by age, primary care specialty, and practice setting of responding physicians.