Primary Care Patients' Reactions to Mental Health Screening

Abstract

Objective:

The authors examined whether there is empirical support for the notion that medical patients are upset by being asked questions about psychiatric disorders.

Method:

Six hundred and one patients attending a primary care clinic completed the SCREENER—a newly developed, brief self-administered questionnaire that surveys a broad range of psychopathology. In addition, they completed a second questionnaire that assessed their attitudes toward the SCREENER.

Results:

We found a high level of acceptance by patients. The questions were judged easy to answer, and they rarely aroused significant negative affect. Fewer than 2 percent of the patients judged the questions difficult to answer, and fewer than 3 percent were “very much” embarrassed, upset, annoyed, or uncomfortable with the questions. Individuals with a history of psychiatric treatment and poorer current mental health reacted more unfavorably to the questionnaire.

Conclusions:

From the patient's perspective, it is feasible and acceptable to use self-administered questionnaires for routine screening of psychiatric problems in primary care settings.