ABSTRACT
Psychiatric morbidity was rated by means of the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), 60-item version in its Spanish form. The unweighted GHQ scoring method was selected and a cut-off score of 11 applied. The effect of the socio-demographic variables on psychiatric morbidity was explored by means of linear-logistic modelling, with a 'step-down' procedure. Certain ‘negative’ social characteristics, such as being out of work, or having a low social status and educational level, have been found to strengthen the association between physical and psychiatric morbidity, both in community surveys and in various medical settings. The way in which illness is expressed is shaped to a great extent by a complex interaction between physical and psychiatric disorders. Socio-cultural factors affect the association between physical and mental illness in a complex way. The act of consulting a general practitioner is part of the manifestation of illness behaviour and is itself influenced by the presence either of physical or of psychiatric disorder.
