Depression and Anxiety identified to be the Most Commonly Reported Mental Health problems by General Practitioners

Abstract

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.