Am J Psychiatry 1985; 142:934-938
Copyright © 1985 by American Psychiatric Association
When doctors listen: counseling patterns of nonpsychiatrist physicians
RA Schurman, JB Mitchell and PD Kramer
Recent work has shown that nonpsychiatrist physicians are surprisingly
active in the mental health arena. Using the two most recent National
Ambulatory Medical Care Surveys (1980-1981), the authors analyzed the
provision of counseling services by general medical physicians in more
detail. Office visits involving counseling were a third again as long as
the average office visit (20 minutes versus 15) and involved notably more
diagnostic and therapeutic services. Although patients who received
counseling services from nonpsychiatrist physicians were generally not
mentally ill, about one in eight did have a psychiatric diagnosis and might
have been better served in the mental health sector.
