Screening for psychiatric disorder in general practice

The extent of psychiatric morbidity was investigated in a consecutive series of patients attending a south London general practitioner. The GP identified a psychiatric component in the reason for consultation in 40% of the sample, and he regarded 24% as 'psychiatric cases'. The estimated true prevalence of psychiatric morbidity in the sample was 34%. These data are used as the basis for a theoretical discussion of prescriptive screening strategies for psychiatric disorder in general practice.