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Perceived health and high consumers of care: a study of mental health problems in a Swedish primary health care district

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

L. Borgquist ,
L. Hansson ,
P. Nettelbladt ,
G. Nordström  and
G. Lindelöw
L. Borgquist*
Affiliation:
Department of Community Health Sciences, Lund University, Dalby; Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital, Lund; and Institute of Economic Research, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
L. Hansson
Affiliation:
Department of Community Health Sciences, Lund University, Dalby; Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital, Lund; and Institute of Economic Research, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
P. Nettelbladt
Affiliation:
Department of Community Health Sciences, Lund University, Dalby; Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital, Lund; and Institute of Economic Research, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
G. Nordström
Affiliation:
Department of Community Health Sciences, Lund University, Dalby; Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital, Lund; and Institute of Economic Research, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
G. Lindelöw
Affiliation:
Department of Community Health Sciences, Lund University, Dalby; Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital, Lund; and Institute of Economic Research, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
*
1Address for correspondence: Dr Lars Borgquist, Vårdcentralen Tåbelund, Solvägen 33, S-241 31 Eslöv, Sweden.
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Synopsis

Many patients with mental health problems are treated in primary health care services. They are often multi-users of care. In the present investigation we have studied patients visiting primary health care clinics who have been assessed for mental health problems according to the Hopkins Symptom Check List (HSCL-25). Two quality-of-life instruments (the Nottingham Health Profile and the Mood Adjective Check List) were applied to describe further the perceived health of the sample.

A random sample of 93 patients was chosen out of 388 patients visiting a primary health care clinic in a Swedish health care district during four weeks in January and February 1990, and these patients were followed prospectively during one year. High consumers of health care during the follow-up period scored a poor perceived health. ‘Feeling worthless’, predicted a high number of days of sickness absenteeism. Hidden cases, not detected by the GPs, consumed more resources than those identified by the GPs. The importance of training and educating general practitioners in the early detection of patients with mental health problems is discussed.

Type
Original Articles
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 23 , Issue 3 , August 1993 , pp. 763 - 770
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1993

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