Unmet need for recognition of common XXXX in Australian general practice.

@entity1 @entity308 @entity146 @entity1109 @entity177 @entity148 @entity74
OBJECTIVE: To determine the rate and predictors of unmet need for recognition of common @entity146 in Australian general practice. DESIGN AND SETTING: Cross-sectional national audit of general practices throughout Australia in 1998-1999. @entity1 : 46 515 ambulatory care @entity1 attending 386 GPs. SCREENING TOOLS: Prevalence of common @entity146 --12 items from the 34-item SPHERE self-report questionnaire and associated classification system; prevalence of recognition of @entity146 by GPs--GPs reporting whether @entity1 had @entity308 , @entity148 , mixed @entity308 / @entity148 , somatoform, or other @entity74 ; predictors of unmet need for recognition of @entity146 --self-report questions about demography for @entity1 and GPs, and about practice organisation for GPs. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Reported recognition of @entity74 by GPs; actual prevalence of disorders; and @entity1 , GP and practice characteristics predicting the @entity177 . RESULTS: GPs did not recognise @entity146 in 56% (11922/21210) of @entity1 . These comprised 46% (5134/11060) of @entity1 in the higher level of @entity146 , and (in the second level of disorders) 58% (2906/5036) of @entity1 with @entity1109 , and 76% (3882/5114) of those with predominantly somatic symptoms. @entity1 more likely to have their need for psychological assessment met had the following characteristics: middle-aged (odds ratio [OR], 1.76; 95% CI, 1.59-1.96), female (OR, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.12-1.27), Australian-born (OR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.08-1.24), unemployed (OR, 1.75; 95% CI, 1.64-1.89), single (OR, 1.52; 95% CI, 1.41-1.61), presenting with @entity1109 (OR, 3.54; 95% CI, 3.28-3.81), and presenting for psychological reasons (OR, 4.20; 95% CI, 3.02-5.82). Characteristics of doctors associated with meeting @entity1 ' need for assessment were being aged over 35 years (OR, 1.51; 95% CI, 1.09-2.08), having an interest in mental health (OR, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.15-1.41), having had previous mental health training (OR, 1.29; 95% CI, 1.15-1.45), being in part-time practice (OR, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.09-1.39), seeing fewer than 100 @entity1 per week (OR, 1.29; 95% CI, 1.13-1.47), working in practices with fewer than 2000 @entity1 (OR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.13-1.45) and working in regional centres (OR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.05-1.28). CONCLUSION: Unmet need for recognition of common @entity146 remains high. Predictors of unmet need include a somatic symptom profile and practitioner and organisational characteristics which impede the provision of high quality mental health services.
