Introduction

Patients bring their “troubles” to their doctors. Most busy primary care doctors will tell you that half the time their patients’ “troubles” lead to the diagnosis of physical illness, and half the time not. Of this second group, many patients turn out to have some form of mental disorder that can benefit from treatment. In 1996, Daryl Regier and colleagues, published their finding that half of the nation’s psychiatrically troubled patients receive their only form of treatment in the primary care sector. There are three main reasons for this phenomenon. References 1. Norquist GS, Regier DA. The epidemiology of psychiatric disorders and the de facto mental health care system. Annu Rev Med. 1996;47:473-9.