Patient and Physician Factors Associated with First Diagnosis of Non-affective Psychotic Disorder in Primary Care

AbstractPrimary care physicians play a central role in pathways to care for first-episode psychosis, and their increased involvement in early detection could improve service-related outcomes. The aim of this study was to estimate the proportion of psychosis first diagnosed in primary care, and identify associated patient and physician factors. We used linked health administrative data to construct a retrospective cohort of people aged 14 –35 years with a first diagnosis of non-affective psychosis in Ontario, Canada between 2005–2015. We restricted the sample to patients with help-seeking contacts for mental health reasons in primary care in the six months prior to first diagnosis of psychotic disorder. We used modified Poisson regression models to examine patient and physician factors associated with a first diagnosis of psychosis in primary care. Among people with early psychosis (n = 39,449), 63% had help-seeking contacts in primary care within six months prior to first diagnosis. Of those patients, 47% were diagnos ed in primary care and 53% in secondary/tertiary care. Patients factors associated with lower likelihood of diagnosis in primary care included male sex, younger age, immigrant status, and comorbid psychosocial conditions. Physician factors associated with lower likelihood of diagnosis in primary car e included solo practice model, urban practice setting, international medical education, and longer time since graduation. Our findings indicate that prima...
Source: Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research - Category: Psychiatry Source Type: research