Pattern of practice on mental health issues and attitude towards referral among general medical practitioners of North India

Abstract Background: Still, in a larger part of the world, people with mental illnesses first consult general practitioners (non-psychiatrist practitioners) to treat their mental illness. Many such patients seek psychiatric consultation with reluctance after being referred by general practitioners due to stigma. The study aimed to assess the attitude of general medical practitioners towards consultation-liaison psychiatric services.Methods: In this cross-sectional survey, a total of 61 general medical practitioners, specialists, and subspecialist physicians, surgeons from a city of North India were evaluated in a questionnaire which was designed based on previous studies and observations to assess their attitudes towards liaison psychiatric services.Findings: Nearly 98% of the general practitioners deal with the patient of psychiatric illness, out of which nearly 30% treat the patient of their own. Nearly 88% of practitioners referring a patient to psychiatrists. More than 90% of general practitioners reported psychiatric problems are associated with medical illness. More than 40%prescribe psychotropic medication, out of which benzodiazepine is the most commonly prescribed one. Depression is commonly encountered in general medical practice. More than 70% of practitioners are not comfortable prescribing psychotropic medications. About 16.39% of general practitioners faced difficulty in referring patients to a psychiatrist for various reasons. Conclusion: General practitioners treat many patients with psychiatric illness though they are not comfortable prescribing psychotropic medications.