Preparedness to accept psychiatric referral

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• General Practice
• Health Services Research

Background:

• General practitioners (GPs) are often the first point of contact for patients with mental health concerns.
• Understanding factors influencing psychiatric referrals is crucial for improving mental healthcare access.
• Previous research indicates varied referral patterns and patient acceptance rates.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate patient-related factors influencing the acceptance of psychiatric referrals from GPs.
• To examine the relationship between patient sociodemographic characteristics and referral acceptance.
• To analyze GP referral patterns, particularly in relation to socioeconomic status of practice regions.

Main Methods:

• A survey of 312 patients from 13 general practices in Sydney.
• Data collection on patient preparedness to consult GPs and perceived likelihood of psychological problem suggestion.
• Analysis of actual psychiatric referral data from participating GPs, stratified by practice region's social class.

Main Results:

• Patient acceptance of psychiatric referral was strongly associated with their initial willingness to consult a GP and their perception that the GP might suggest a psychological issue.
• Patient sociodemographic characteristics showed no significant relevance to referral acceptance.
• GPs in lower social class regions of Sydney made more psychiatric referrals.
• Referrals to community psychiatric facilities were infrequent, primarily occurring in low social class general practices.

Conclusions:

• Patient willingness to accept psychiatric referrals is primarily driven by their initial engagement with the GP and their belief in the GP's ability to identify psychological problems.
• GP referral practices appear influenced by the socioeconomic context of their patient population, with disparities in referrals to community facilities.