Nationwide analysis finds mental health concerns are a huge part of primary care practice

Medical Xpress September 19, 2024
Karl Leif Bates, Duke University

An examination of millions of patient visits to primary care physicians shows that mental health concerns are second only to musculoskeletal complaints in everyday care. One in nine patients was seeking care primarily because of a mental health concern.

“These primary care physicians are the gatekeepers,” said study leader Avshalom Caspi, the Edward M. Arnett Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at Duke University. “The primary care physician data allows us to actually see people at their first contact with the health care system.”

Researchers examined more than 350 million primary care visits for 4.8 million people from January 2006 to December 2019, as recorded by the Norwegian government. Each visit’s principal health concern was coded by the physicians, enabling the...

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