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Social problems as factors affecting medical consultation: a comparison between general practice attenders and community probands with emotional distress

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

S. Pini ,
M. Piccinelli  and
Ch. Zimmermann-Tansella
S. Pini*
Affiliation:
Servizio di Psicologia Medica, Istituto di Psichiatria, Università di Verona, Verona, Italy
M. Piccinelli
Affiliation:
Servizio di Psicologia Medica, Istituto di Psichiatria, Università di Verona, Verona, Italy
Ch. Zimmermann-Tansella
Affiliation:
Servizio di Psicologia Medica, Istituto di Psichiatria, Università di Verona, Verona, Italy
*
1Address for correspondence: Dr Stehano Pini, Servizio di Psicologia Medica, Istituto di Psichiatria, Ospedale Policlinico, 37134 Verona, Italy.
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Synopsis

Comparison between general practice attenders and community subjects with emotional distress (as measured by GHQ–12) showed that women from a general practice sample reported more social problems than those from the community. In both men and women, problems with their spouse or partner were far more likely among general practice attenders than among community probands. Furthermore, women who consulted the general practitioners could count less often on the availability of friend confidants and had more well-defined physical disorder than their community counterparts. Results from a logistic regression analysis showed that in women (but not in men) problems in the relationship with spouse or partner increased the probability of being a general practice attender more than twofold. Physical health status did not exert a significant effect either in men or in women.

Type
Research Article
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 25 , Issue 1 , January 1995 , pp. 33 - 41
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1995

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