ABSTRACT
This chapter shows a detailed account of the morbidity of patients with a psychiatric disorder, as diagnosed by general practitioners (GPs). It finds that about half of the patients with a psychiatric disorder according to a standardised psychiatric interview are diagnosed by the GP as such. Depending on their psychiatric disorder, 30-40% of these patients only present somatic problems that are not indicative for psychological or psychiatric problems. More than 50% of the patients who visit their GPs are diagnosed by their GPs at least once as having a psychological or psychiatric symptom or diagnosis. Nevertheless, about 60% of the patients with a Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) diagnosis receive some GP diagnosis reflecting the psychological nature of their symptoms. The higher contact rate of DSM-IV patients is not restricted to a higher contact rate for psychological, social and vegetative symptoms; they have a higher contact rate for strictly somatic diseases as well.
