The prevalence and impact of psychological disorders in primary care: HMO research needed to improve care.
OBJECTIVE
To estimate the prevalence and impacts of psychological disorders among primary care patients.


METHODS
Primary care clinics at Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound participating in a multi-center, international World Health Organization study.


METHODS
Prevalence survey of a stratified sample of consecutive primary care patients.


METHODS
Psychiatric diagnosis, work disability, and health care costs.


RESULTS
Depression, anxiety and somatoform disorders were common among primary care patients. They were associated with significant disability, unfavorable health perceptions and increased health care costs.


CONCLUSIONS
Psychological disorders are common among primary care patients and these disorders have significant societal impacts including work disability and increased health care costs. HMOs with integrated delivery systems that have developed public domain research capabilities have a critical role to play in efforts to reduce the burden of these disorders by evaluating innovations in health care services for psychological disorders.
Von Korff
M
M
Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound, Seattle, WA 98101, USA.
Simon
G
G
D006279:Health Maintenance Organizations / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D015995:Prevalence; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D014861:Washington / Q000453:epidemiology