The role of the family doctor in the prevention of mental health disorders in patients with chronic pathology

Objectives. The family doctor plays an important role in preventing mental health disorders through medical education and early detection of patients with mental health disorders. The objectives of this research are to evaluate the possibility of family doctors to do prevention through medical education and to apply questionnaires to detect depression in patients with chronic disease. In addition, the research aims to identify the barriers perceived by family physicians in performing these activities. Material and method. The research was conducted on the basis of a self-administered questionnaire, which was answered voluntarily by 153 family doctors from 37 counties in Romania, both in rural and urban areas. Results and discussions. The answers to the questions regarding the availability of doctors to do medical education for the prevention of mental health disorders and the possibility to apply questionnaires for the identification of depression in patients with chronic pathology were analyzed. The results show that 59.48% of family doctors do medical education for the prevention of mental health disorders and 41.18% apply questionnaires to detect depression, during the consultation, in patients with chronic pathology. Regarding the barriers perceived by family doctors in achieving prevention, 40.32% answered that they do not do medical education to prevent mental health disorders due to the lack of adapted work tools, 25.80% chose the lack of knowledge of communication techniques and 22.58% lack of time. 45.56% of family physicians answered that they did not apply questionnaires to detect depression due to lack of necessary tools and 40% due to lack of time. Conclusions. The research reveals both the role and the needs of family doctors in the prevention and promotion of mental health in patients with chronic pathology. The ability of family physicians to pursue medical education and the willingness to apply questionnaires for depression can be improved by allocating resources, such as tailored work tools, courses to improve knowledge of specific communication techniques, and time spent on these activities