[Pathways to psychiatric care. I. Zabkowice epidemiological catchment area].

AIM: The aim of this study was to characterise pathways to psychiatric care in the Zabkowice epidemiological catchment area.

METHOD: In the period of two months between 1st February 2001 and 31st March 2001 all patients age 15 and over who applied to the Psychiatric Service in the Zabkowice catchment area, were assessed by psychiatrists for their eligibility to enter the study. Those who had fulfilled the entry criteria were interviewed using a Polish version of WHO's encounter form (EF) by the mental health professionals during their initial interview.

RESULTS: A total of 123 patients were seen. 43% of the patients in our sample contacted their general practitioner first compared with 20% of those who first saw hospital doctors & medical specialists and 24% who came direct.

CONCLUSIONS: The study reveals that the median interval while receiving care was 14 weeks which is much longer than in all the European centres in previous studies (< 5 weeks). We didn't find any coincidence between the total interval since the onset of symptoms to arrival at the Psychiatric Service and the duration of the patients' journey.