PSYCHOSOCIAL AND PSYCHOSOMATIC DIAGNOSES IN PRIMARY CARE OF CHILDREN

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  • 1 January 1980
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 66  (2) , 159-167
Abstract
In 7 primary care facilities the proportion of children recognized as having behavioral, educational or social problems was higher than generally assumed. Although there was great variability among the facilities, 5-15% of children seen in 1 yr were diagnosed as having these problems in all but the hospital teaching facilities. The prevalence was even higher among children from poor families. The variability among facilities was less for psychosomatic problems which were diagnosed in 8-10% of the children. For psychosocial and psychosomatic types of problems, but especially for psychosocial ones, the proportion of visits with the diagnoses was lower than the proportion of children with them; these problems engendered fewer visits for their management than might have been expected from their frequency in the population. Individuals with unresolved psychosocial problems make more than their share of visits for other diagnoses. These findings have implications for the content of educational programs for primary care practitioners, for the organization of primary care practice and for the current debate over policy concerning reimbursement and benefit packages.