Psychiatric disease in primary health care

Abstract

Its consensually assumed both the high prevalence of psychiatric pathology in the Primary Care and the fact that the General Practitioner is the best positioned agent to carry out a correct diagnostic and therapeutic approach to these problems.Accordingly, it is suggested that the General Practitioner evaluate and treat the majority of these patients, referring a minority, really needed, to specialized care. In practical terms, it is assumed as a priority that the General Practitioner gradually improves his ability of intervening in the area of Mental Health. Therefore, in this context, the articulation between Psychiatry Services and Primary Care Centers is considered highly rewarding, with the special role of Liaison Psychiatry. In the present article the authors make some considerations and put different questions on the subject in appraise, trying to approach important issues, mainly related to the specific presentation of psychiatric pathology in Primary Care, particularly the case of «depression», and related difficulties in the evaluation of mental disorders in this setting.