Mental Health Problems

Abstract

Mental health problems are distressingly prevalent in the general population. Primary care clinicians have learned the full impact of this fact as US federal and state agencies have cut funding for mental health services, sending patients with both complex and severe psychiatric problems to seek care in generalist practices. Just to give you an idea of the prevalence of DSM-IV mental disorders in the general population, a study of 9,282 adult individuals revealed a 12-month prevalence of the following disorders: anxiety, 18.1 %; mood, 9.5 %; impulse control, 8.9 %; substance abuse, 3.8 %; and any mental health disorder, 26.2 %. Of the cases described, 22.3 % were considered serious; and 23 % of patients had three or more DSM-IV diagnoses [2].