A survey of general practitioners' knowledge of symptoms and epidemiology of schizophrenia

Objective. - To explore general practitioners' (GPs) knowledge of the symptoms and epidemiology of schizophrenia, and the GPs' characteristics associated with level of knowledge. Method. - Survey questionnaires exploring practice in patients with early psychosis were mailed to all GPs in South-Western France (N = 3829). GPs were asked to fill out questions anonymously on the symptoms and epidemiology of schizophrenia. Results. - The response rate was 23.6%. GPs had a fair theoretical knowledge of schizophrenia symptoms, but underestimated the prevalence and the risk of suicide. Recent attendance at a continuing medical education (CME) course on schizophrenia was the main predictor of level of knowledge on epidemiological figures, although its impact was relatively modest. Regarding risk factors, the implication of genetic factors was considered as null or modest by more than half of the GPs, while a large proportion of them stated that mother-baby interactional disturbances were frequently implicated in the aetiology of the disorder. Conclusion. - GPs' level of knowledge on the public health impact and risk factors for schizophrenia needs to be improved in order to promote the delivery of accurate and destigmatising information to primary care patients. (c) 2005 Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.