Attitude of general practitioners faced to schizophrenia

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Published May 31, 2012
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Vol. 90 No. 6 (2012): Issue Jun 2012

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Elloumi Hend
Zalila Haifa
Kallel Ghada
Cheour Majda
Boussetta Afif

Abstract

Background: The chronic character of schizophrenia, the suffering that it generates, its triple social and human economic cost, make of it a major stake of public health. The general practitioners are the first actors in the tracking of onset schizophrenia and the follow-up of this chronic pathology.
Aim: To study knowledge, the attitudes and the practices of the general practitioners faced to schizophrenia.
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study, using an autoquestionnaire, including 300 general practitioners registered in the table of the order of the Doctors of the area of Large Tunis, exerting in private and public sectors.
Results: The rate of answer was 22.6% (68) of general practitioners. The middle age of the participants was 48.1 years (± 8.3). The sexratio was 1.6; including 58.8% exerting in the private sector. Meadows the fifth (19.1%) of them knew the exact prevalence of schizophrenia in the general population, whereas 77.9% did not have any idea of the rate of suicide among patients. 76.5% of the doctors estimated that prodromal signs preceded the emergence of schizophrenia. The odd behaviors, hallucinations/delirum and social withdrawal constituted the most evocative symptoms in respectively 80.8%; 79.4% and 64.7%. In case of onset- schizophrenia; 20.5% of the experts thought that it was not necessary to prescribe any treatment and 48.5% were unable to mention the exact drug to be prescribed in case of first episode psychotic.
Conclusion: Our results highlight gaps in knowledge and the practical conduits of the general practitioners faced to schizophrenia. Measurements aiming the improvements in education and the sensitizing of the general practitioners are necessary.

Keywords:

General practitioners, schizophrenia, attitude

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