Diagnoses of Psychiatric Disorders in Hypothetical Patients by Non-Psychiatric Physicians in Japan

Objective:This study was undertaken to investigate non-psychiatric physicians' diagnoses of hypothetical patients in clinical scenarios with comorbid medical and psychiatric disease in Japan.Methods:The non-psychiatric physicians were asked to diagnose eight clinical scenarios describing several typical behavioral health problems in the medical settings.Results:A total of 155 non-psychiatric physicians participated. Many physicians had problems correctly diagnosing depression and hypoactive delirium with medically ill patients.Conclusions:It is time to incorporate new efficient and effective approaches, such as collaborative care system and proactive delirium prevention programs, to improve overall behavioral health diagnosis and treatment, rather than relying on the rapid recognition of behavioral health problems in primary care/general medical settings.