The relationship of presenting complaints to the use of psychiatric services in a low-income group

The presenting complaints of 503 subjects who contacted a mental health clinic serving an inner-city, low-income group were classified into mental state, physical functioning, social relations, and social performance. The authors examined the relationship between type of presenting complaint and race ethnicity, gender, age, marital status, DSM-III diagnosis, source of referral, and previous use of psychiatric services. Diagnostic group, source of referral, previous use of services, and type of presenting complaint were the four best predictors of number of outpatient visits. The increment in prediction produced by type of presenting complaint, however, was relatively modest.