The Identification of Alcohol‐related Problems by General Practitioners

Summary The role of the GP in the identification and management of people with alcohol‐related problems has been the focus of much attention in recent years. Little research however has focussed on which factors are important in facilitating the identification process. It is suggested here that the attitudes of GP's are related to the number of alcohol‐related problems which they identify. Many of the attitudes related to identification are also related to the amount of education GP's have received about alcohol and alcohol‐related problems. Two additional factors shown to be related to identification are the degree of support experienced by the GP when working with drinkers and the expectation that working with patients with alcohol‐related problems will be rewarding. The implications of these findings for increasing GP's identification of patients with alcohol‐related problems are discussed.