FALSE-POSITIVE RESULTS - A CHALLENGE FOR PSYCHIATRIC SCREENING IN PRIMARY-CARE

Objective: The goal of this study was to characterize primary care pat ients with false positive results on screens for mental disorders. Met hod: A sample of 1,001 primary care patients completed self-administer ed screens and structured interviews for DSM-IV diagnoses. Results: A substantial proportion of the patients with false positive screen resu lts for at least one diagnosis met the diagnostic criteria for other p sychiatric disorders. They also had significantly greater functional i mpairment and higher rates of recent use of mental health services tha n the subjects with true negative results on the screens. Conclusions: Although the positive predictive values of screens for specific menta l disorders are in line with those of other medical screens, false pos itive results are not uncommon. This may be due in part to the sensiti vity of brief screening instruments to nonspecific symptoms. The resul ts suggest that as with other screens used in primary care, patients w ith false positive results on screens for mental disorders should rece ive clinical attention.