Introduction: General practitioners (GPs) regularly provide care for adult patients with psychological/psychiatric problems and prescribe appropriate medications (either independently or in consultation with a psychiatrist). Objectives:We established a list of the most common mental health problems GPs encounter during daily practice and suggested solutions to increase their competence in identifying and selecting appropriate treatments. Methods:We designed and conducted a voluntary survey; we collected data from 55 outpatient GPs at multiple outpatient clinics in Novi Sad, Serbia, which has a Universal Health Care System. Collected data were analyzed using including descriptive and analytical statistics. Results:Psychological/psychiatric problems were most commonly identified during GPs' interviews with patients (70.9%) and by utilizing evidence-based behavioral health-screening instruments. Anxiety (80.0%) and depression/depressed mood (78.2%) were the two most frequently reported problems. To increase competence in diagnosing and treating patients with psychological/psychiatric problems, 76.3% of GPs identified the need for additional educational opportunities that address psychotropic medications used for depression, and 54.5% identified the need for topics related to initiating and managing antidepressant therapy. Conclusions:The most common psychological/psychiatric problems that GPs encounter in their practice are anxiety and depression. To increase competency in treating these problems, GPs will benefit from additional learning opportunities and training related to assessment and pharmacological treatment of patients with depression and anxiety disorders.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.