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The extent of mental and physical ill-health of clients referred to social workers in a local authority department and a general attachment scheme

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

Roslyn H. Corney*
Affiliation:
General Practice Research Unit, Institute of Psychiatry, London
*
1Address for correspondence: Mrs Roslyn H. Corney, General Practice Research Unit, Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London SE5 8AF.

Synopsis

Information regarding the physical and mental health of clients referred to social workers in a local authority intake team and to a general practice attachment scheme was collected over a 3-month period. Although returns to the Department of Health and Social Security during this period indicated that a very low proportion of clients were physically or mentally ill, it is clear that these figures greatly underestimate the extent of illness present. While social workers operating outside hospital and general practice attachments have been shown to have little contact with medical staff, in this study high proportions of their clients were ill and their social problems were often associated with their illness.

Type
Preliminary Communication
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1979

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