Evaluation of Clinical Diagnosis and Stressful Life Events in Patients at a Rural Family Practice Centre

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Abstract
Chen C-V. Liang V-I and Hsieh W-C. Evaluation of clinical diagnosis and stressful life events in patients at a rural family practice centre. Family practice 1989; 6: 259–262 The occurrence of stressful life events in patients might be used as a cue for the diagnosis of psychosocial illness at a consultation where a physical symptom has been presented. In this study 555 patients attending a rural family practice clinic were interviewed about their stressful life events using a questionnaire. Stressful life events had occurred in 44.7% of patients and the total number of events recorded was 624. More life events were found in patients who were female, older and of lower social class. Three types of clinical diagnoses were recognized: simple physical diseases (55.1%) and psychosocial illness with and without physical diseases (36.8% and 8.1% respectively). Patients who were female, older and of lower socioeconomic status and who had experienced more life events had more psychosocial problems than the rest of the group (P<0.001). The diagnosis of psychosocial illness could be predicted by the variables of stressful life event and age up to 66%.

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