Psychiatrists working in primary care: a survey of general practitioners' attitudes.
OBJECTIVE
To collect information on current working arrangements between general practitioners (GPs) and mental health professionals and to assess GPs' attitudes towards developing closer working practices with psychiatrists in the primary care setting.


METHODS
Six hundred and three GPs from South Australia were surveyed with questionnaires. Main outcome measures included information about existing primary care links between GPs and mental health professionals, GPs' preferred working arrangements with psychiatrists in the primary care setting and their attitude towards developing these practices, including perceived obstacles, advantages and disadvantages.


RESULTS
One hundred and eighty-one completed questionnaires were returned. One in 11 GPs returning the questionnaire (RGPs) had established primary care links with a psychiatrist, 1 in 6 with clinical psychologists and 1 in 17 with psychiatric nurses and social workers. RGPs held positive attitudes towards developing closer links at their work settings with psychiatrists when it le8ads to improved collaboration and access to psychiatrists. Reservations were expressed about the public weakening of the GPs' primary care role.


CONCLUSIONS
The joint needs of clinical care and GPs' further training in psychiatry could be addressed by further development of schemes to attract psychiatrists to work in primary care settings. This is mostly viewed very positively by GPs, although the percentage of GPs responding make these conclusions tentative. It is more likely to occur with changes to current funding of both private psychiatric care and GP remuneration, with a recognition of time spent in liaison.
Barber
R
R
Hillcrest Hospital, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Williams
A S
AS
D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D005194:Family Practice / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006123:Group Practice / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011570:Psychiatry / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013021:South Australia / Q000453:epidemiology