[The attitudes of physicians and nurses to the integration of mental health into primary care].

OBJECTIVE

To establish the attitude of health staff at Health Centres to new Mental Health care plan.

DESIGN

Crossover study, for which a simple random sample of 207 people was extracted. SITE. Seville's Primary Care network.

PARTICIPANTS

Doctors and nurses from Health Centres in Sevilla.

MAIN MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS

A questionnaire of 22 items, grouped into the 5 thematic areas of the new plan, was designed to measure attitudes. The statistical treatment analysed the variables of: age, sex, profession, type of Health Centre, participation in health programmes and the relationship to the District Mental Health Team (DMHT), 55% of health workers scored positively overall in the questionnaire. Those belonging to urban Health Centres were more favorable than those in rural centres to the incorporation of mental health into Primary Care. Those under 35 were also more favorable. Looking at thematic areas, the least preferred was "Organisation", whereas all the other areas scored positively.

CONCLUSIONS

Strategies for the introduction and organisation of the new mental health plan will have to be designed before it can be implemented in Health Centres.