How many affected persons seek help?

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Among the adult population of the UK , between 260 and 315 per thousand are found, in community surveys, to have a psychiatric disorder. Not all these people seek medical advice. Some cope on their own, others are supported by family, friends, clergy, or non-medical counselors. People with substance misuse are particularly likely to consider that they do not need medical help.

In the UK ; where primary care services are well developed, about nine in ten people with a psychiatric disorder attend a general practitioner. The factors which determine whether a person seeks medical help for a psychiatric disorder include

•  The severity and duration of the disorder;

•  The person's attitude to psychiatric disorder; some people feel ashamed and embarrassed to ask for help;

•  Knowledge about possible help; if people do not know what help can be provided, they are less likely to seek help;

•  The person's perception of the doctor's attitude to psychiatric disorder; if the doctor is viewed as unsympathetic, the person is less likely to ask for help;

•  The attitudes and knowledge of family and friends; if these people are unsympathetic, the affected person may be less likely to seek help.