Psychiatric symptoms and psychosocial problems in primary health care as seen by doctors

All visits at a primary health care centre in Sweden were studied during four weeks. The frequency of psychiatric symptoms or psychosocial problems noted by the doctors was recorded on a special form in addition to routine registration of diagnoses. Such problems were noted in 553 out of 3 205 visits, corresponding to 17.3%. Considerable variation in registering problems was found between individual physicians and between different categories of doctors. The most common problems were nervousness, anxiety, psychosomatic disorders, and depression. Mental problems were especially common in connection with gastritis, precordial pain, and abdominal pain. There was a difference between the sexes: 20% of the female patients had mental problems registered compared with 14% of the male patients. Psychiatric diagnoses, however, were registered in only 6% of all cases. Of the 553 patients with mental problems, 16% were considered in need of a specialist, 52% could be dealt with at the health centre, and for 32% no special treatment for the mental problems was regarded necessary. One conclusion is that the routine registration of diagnoses at the health centre covers only some of the mental problems and is therefore insufficient in terms of planning psychiatric resources and the training of doctors. Possible reasons for the differences found are discussed.