For immediate useNov. 11, 1997 -- No. 838

Grant given to research treatment of mental health in primary care

By CAROLYN BUSSE

Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research

CHAPEL HILL -- Learning what factors affect treatment of mental health problems during primary care medical visits is the focus of a new study by researchers at the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research and the School of Pharmacy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The National Institute of Mental Health is supporting the study with a $349,000 grant.

The research is important, scientists say, because many patients discuss mental health concerns with primary-care physicians rather than with mental health specialists.

According to a 1994 study, more than half of all patient visits to primary-care physicians involved a psychological problem as a major complaint. In addition, primary-care physicians prescribe more than two-thirds of all antidepressants and minor tranquilizers in the United States.

UNC-CH researchers hope to determine how patient gender, ethnicity, education level, age and other factors influence discussion and treatment of mental health problems. The study will also assess the importance of whether physicians speak patients' native languages.

“We hope that findings from this study will be used to improve mental health treatment in primary care,” said Dr. Betsy Lynn Sleath, assistant professor of pharmacy, research fellow at the Sheps Center and the study's lead investigator.

Sleath and colleagues will gather information from a series of Spanish and English audiotape transcripts of more than 400 outpatient visits to the University of New Mexico Health Science Center as well as post-visit interviews with physicians and patients.

Data will be combined with medical and pharmacy records. Patients were recruited while Sleath was a faculty member at New Mexico. She plans to extend the studies to N.C. patients.

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Note: Sleath can be reached at (919) 962-0079.

Sheps Center Contact: Carolyn Busse, 966-3847

News Services Contact: David Williamson, 962-2091