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Original ArticleOpen Access
The Ability of Primary Health Care Physicians to Detect Mental Disorders in a University Hospital Setting
Jirapramukpitak T 
,
Wongsarnsri W
,
Wongsarnsri W Objective : To determine how primary health care physicians differ in their ability and
the factors underlying the differences between them in the ability to recognize mental disorders.
Method : The group studied consisted of 15 primary health care physicians detecting
mental disorders in 750 randomly selected adult patients of the general practice clinic in Thammasat
University Hospital. The GHQ-28-Thai version was used as the reference method in the identifi-
cation of psychiatric cases compared with the physicians' own assessment. Univariate and multi-
variate statistical analysis were used.
Results : There was a great variation in the ability of the physicians to detect mental dis-
orders. The recognition ability was associated with the medical school from which the physician
graduated. The discrimination ability was not associated with any factors.
Conclusion : The medical school plays a role in determining the ability to detect mental
disorders. This information would usually inform future developments in psychiatry teaching at both
undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
Key word : Primary Health Care Physicians, Mental Disorders, Ability
the factors underlying the differences between them in the ability to recognize mental disorders.
Method : The group studied consisted of 15 primary health care physicians detecting
mental disorders in 750 randomly selected adult patients of the general practice clinic in Thammasat
University Hospital. The GHQ-28-Thai version was used as the reference method in the identifi-
cation of psychiatric cases compared with the physicians' own assessment. Univariate and multi-
variate statistical analysis were used.
Results : There was a great variation in the ability of the physicians to detect mental dis-
orders. The recognition ability was associated with the medical school from which the physician
graduated. The discrimination ability was not associated with any factors.
Conclusion : The medical school plays a role in determining the ability to detect mental
disorders. This information would usually inform future developments in psychiatry teaching at both
undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
Key word : Primary Health Care Physicians, Mental Disorders, Ability
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