Am J Psychiatry 1978; 135:728-731
Copyright © 1978 by American Psychiatric Association
The family practitioner as psychiatrist
A Feldman
The author describes attitudes held by nonpsychiatric physicians that are
responsible for poor psychological handling of patients, including low
interest in psychosocial aspects of illness, judgment of and disinterest in
hypochondriasis or conversion reaction, avoidance of psychotic or
terminally ill patients, and anger toward patients with unpleasant
characteristics. He discusses reasons for these attitudes and suggests that
medical schools increase psychological education and psychiatry departments
increase the relevance of their teaching.
