Primary care physicians' experience with mental health consultation

A total of 684 primary care physicians in Wisconsin participated in a survey designed to explore their experiences of consulting with and referring patients to mental health care professionals. The respondents indicated that they had only moderate access to mental health;care professionals, and even less access when a patient was covered by Medicare or Medicaid or had no insurance. Physicians in group practices that included at least one mental health professional reported having better access to care than those in practices that did not include mental health services. Perceived access to mental health care services was not related to community size or to a managed care setting.