Social problems as factors affecting medical consultation: A comparison between general practice attenders and community probands with emotional distress

Compared 120 general practice (GLP) attenders and 120 community Ss (aged 18-65 yrs) with emotional distress (as measured by the General Health Questionnaire) and found that women from the GLP sample reported more social problems than those from the community. In both men and women, problems with their spouse or partner were more likely among GLP attenders than among community probands. Women who consulted GPs could count less often on the availability of friend confidants and had more well-defined physical disorder than their community counterparts. In women (but not in men), problems in the relationship with spouse or partner increased the probability of being a GLP attender more than twofold. Physical health status did not exert a significant effect either in men or in women. (PsycINFO Database Copyright 1995 American Psychological Assn, all rights reserved)