Minor Mental Illness in London: Some Aspects of a General Practice Survey

Abstract

This paper reports on a general practice survey of psychiatric morbidity carried out in the Greater London area. The sickness experience of nearly 15,000 patients on the lists of 80 practitioners was studied over a period of one year. It was shown that minor psychiatric disorders, classified according to a predetermined schema, were diagnosed in 14% of the population at risk. Neurotic illness was most prevalent among middle-aged females and proved to be an important cause of chronic illness. The reasons for interpractice variation in recorded morbidity are discussed.