title: [Detection of psychiatric diseases in general practice: results from Germany].
abstract: The family physician plays a key role in medical care. In view of the fact that approximately every fourth resident suffers from some mental disorder, the ability of the primary care physician to recognise a disorder as such is of utmost importance. Results of German studies indicate that primary care physicians recognise about half the mental disorders identified on the basis of clinical interviews. The extent to which mental disorders are recognised depends in addition to the psychiatric competence of the primary care physician upon the type and degree of severity of the specific disorder. The rate of recognition is particularly low for mental disorders in childhood and adolescence and among adults who suffer from sleep disorders or neurotic/psychosomatic disorders. On the contrary, over 70% of cases of schizophrenia and affective psychoses and over 90% of all dementia cases are discovered by primary care physicians. Training programmes are valuable aids in improving the skill of primary care physicians at recognising mental disorders. Corresponding programmes, tested for efficacy, are needed in Germany.
authors.affiliation: Zentralinstitut für Seelische Gesundheit, Mannheim.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Weyerer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D008875:Middle Aged; D010348:Patient Care Team; D011320:Primary Health Care; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
vernacular_title: Das Erkennen psychischer Erkrankungen in der hausärztlichen Versorgung: Ergebnisse aus der Bundesrepublik Deutschland.