Even as U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher, M.D., Ph.D., is calling on primary care physicians to take a more active role in detecting and treating mental illness, AAFP members are saying they're up to the task.
Two surveys -- one mailed to AAFP members before and one after last year's Annual Clinical Focus, Mental Health 2000 -- gauge the program's impact on members with regard to managing mental illness in their patients.
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For each of nine disorders, physicians were asked to rate their pre- and post-ACF levels of knowledge and performance in recognizing characteristic signs and symptoms. Statistically significant gains were seen in reported knowledge levels about depression, anxiety, panic disorder and dementia (see graph at right). Respondents also reported statistically significant increases in levels of performance (detecting and treating) for depression, anxiety and dementia.
ACF Medical Director Stephen Spann, M.D., of Houston says the results appear to indicate that respondents did, in fact, increase their knowledge about a number of mental health problems commonly seen in family practice, although he cautioned against overinterpreting the data.
Other areas in which statistcally significant strides were made were:
Physicians also commented on what changes they would make in their practices as a result of having participated in Mental Health 2000. Among the changes respondents cited most frequently were:
Finally, respondents suggested additional educational programs they would find helpful in their practices, including coursework on cognitive behavioral counseling, emotional problems in children, marital counseling and the special emotional needs of men.
The first questionnaire went out to 2,000 members in February 2000; 228 responses were received for a return rate of 11.4 percent. Those respondents were again surveyed this past March and the results compared with the earlier self-reported knowledge and skill levels.
For more information about the surgeon general's mental health initiative, go to http://www.aafp.org/fpr/20010600/01.html . For more information about Mental Health 2000, including a listing of supporting and cooperating partners, go to http://www.aafp.org/acf/2000/ .