Are frequent attenders of primary health care distressed?
OBJECTIVE
To measure the level of distress among frequent attenders of primary health care.


METHODS
A cross-sectional study.


METHODS
Two public primary health care stations in Turku, south-western Finland


METHODS
96 frequent attenders (eleven or more visits to a physician during the previous 12 months) and 466 control patients.


METHODS
SCL-25, GP evaluations, self-reported symptoms and self-experienced need for care.


RESULTS
Frequent attenders were significantly more distressed than other patients in primary care. However, their self-experienced need for psychiatric care was very low and it did not differ from other patients self-experienced need. The GPs estimated that over 1/3 of frequent attenders suffered from mixed (physical and psychiatric) illnesses and over 1/2 from subclinical or clinical psychiatric symptoms. The corresponding proportions for other patients were significantly lower.
Karlsson
H
H
Department of Psychiatry, University of Turku, Finland.
Lehtinen
V
V
Joukamaa
M
M
D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis; D008875:Middle Aged; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011602:Psychophysiologic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis; D012647:Self-Assessment; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000175:diagnosis*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000175:diagnosis