TY - JOUR
KW - Adult
KW - Aged
KW - Comorbidity
KW - Female
KW - Humans
KW - Male
KW - Mental Disorders/diagnosis/epidemiology
KW - Middle Aged
KW - Prevalence
KW - Primary Health Care/utilization
KW - Somatoform Disorders/diagnosis/epidemiology
KW - Spain/epidemiology
AU - M. Gili
AU - J. V. Luciano
AU - M. J. Serrano
AU - R. Jimenez
AU - N. Bauza
AU - M. Roca
A1 - 
AB - Frequent attenders account for a large proportion of primary care (PC) contacts, referrals, and prescriptions. Psychosocial and emotional distress is related to the high use of health services. Few studies have focused on the association between mental disorders assessed using structured interviews and frequent use of PC services.The aim of this study was to determine the factors associated with frequent attendance at primary healthcare units, focusing specifically on mental disorders. A two-phase screening epidemiological study comparing frequent attenders and routine attenders in five primary health care units was designed. Three hundred eighteen frequent attenders and 203 patients who attended the same units on a routine basis were compared. Sociodemographic and clinical data were obtained from statistical records and medical charts. Patients with a total score equal or higher than 7 points on the General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28) were interviewed using the Schedules for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry. All the scores obtained on the GHQ were statistically different in the two populations. Frequency of mental disorders also differed significantly between both groups, with somatoform and affective disorders being the most prevalent ICD-10 categories among frequent attenders. The presence of depressive disorders and somatoform disorders is the most powerful predictive factor for frequent attendance. High comorbidity was found among frequent attenders with somatoform disorder. Frequent attendance at primary healthcare units is associated with depressive and somatoform disorders. Psychiatric comorbidity could be a confounder, particularly because affective and somatoform disorders often overlap in PC patients.
BT - The Journal of nervous and mental disease
C5 - Medically Unexplained Symptoms
CP - 10
CY - United States
DO - 10.1097/NMD.0b013e31822fcd4d
IS - 10
JF - The Journal of nervous and mental disease
N2 - Frequent attenders account for a large proportion of primary care (PC) contacts, referrals, and prescriptions. Psychosocial and emotional distress is related to the high use of health services. Few studies have focused on the association between mental disorders assessed using structured interviews and frequent use of PC services.The aim of this study was to determine the factors associated with frequent attendance at primary healthcare units, focusing specifically on mental disorders. A two-phase screening epidemiological study comparing frequent attenders and routine attenders in five primary health care units was designed. Three hundred eighteen frequent attenders and 203 patients who attended the same units on a routine basis were compared. Sociodemographic and clinical data were obtained from statistical records and medical charts. Patients with a total score equal or higher than 7 points on the General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28) were interviewed using the Schedules for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry. All the scores obtained on the GHQ were statistically different in the two populations. Frequency of mental disorders also differed significantly between both groups, with somatoform and affective disorders being the most prevalent ICD-10 categories among frequent attenders. The presence of depressive disorders and somatoform disorders is the most powerful predictive factor for frequent attendance. High comorbidity was found among frequent attenders with somatoform disorder. Frequent attendance at primary healthcare units is associated with depressive and somatoform disorders. Psychiatric comorbidity could be a confounder, particularly because affective and somatoform disorders often overlap in PC patients.
PP - United States
PY - 2011
SN - 1539-736X; 0022-3018
SP - 744
EP - 749
EP - 
T1 - Mental disorders among frequent attenders in primary care: a comparison with routine attenders
T2 - The Journal of nervous and mental disease
TI - Mental disorders among frequent attenders in primary care: a comparison with routine attenders
U1 - Medically Unexplained Symptoms
U2 - 21964267
U3 - 10.1097/NMD.0b013e31822fcd4d
VL - 199
VO - 1539-736X; 0022-3018
Y1 - 2011
ER -