Service Model : The Pathway to Psychiatric Care

Abstract

Abstract

In this paper, the author presents the British psychiatris service as a care model.  In order to understand psychiatric services better, care providers must understand the patient’s jpathway to psychiatris care.  According to Goldberg, et al, psychiatric patients in a community are different from those seeking help from their general practitioners.  General  paractitioners can detect psychiatric morbidity in less than 50 percent of patients with psychiatric disorders.  Out of these, only 20 percent are refered to psychiatrists.  One in four of the referral would be admitted to specialist psychiatris services. Goldberg has detailed the pathway and devided it into five levels and four filters, showing factors that operate on each level and filter.  The author also presents pathway to psychiatric care in India and Pakistan in comparison to that in some European countries with more resources.  These data will be extremely helpful in planning psychiatric services, training of care providers in all levels and stimulating a similar study in Thailand