Crying patients in general/family practice: incidence, reasons for encounter and health problems

Despite evidence demonstrating the benefits of understanding patients, there is a paucity of information about how physicians address psychological and social concerns of patients. Patients cried in 157 encounters out of a total of 18,627 giving an incidence rate of 8.4 per thousand. More frequent reasons for encounters were: feeling depressed (12.7%), social handicap (mainly social isolation/living alone) (6.4%), relationship problem with partner (5.1%) and feeling anxious (3.2%). More frequent health problems were: depressive disorder (23.6%), anxiety disorder (8.3%), cerebrovascular disease (5.1%) and loss/death of partner (3.8%).

• Crying patients in general/family practice: incidence, reasons for encounter and health problems. Gérvas, J., Pastor-Sánchez, R., Pérez-Fernández, M. Rev Bras Med Fam Comunitaria (Florianópolis). 2012:7. Download article here.

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