General practitioners' attitude towards psychiatric disorders and psychiatric patients: a survey of jaipur city.

A survey of 40 randomly selected general practitioners was carried out to find out their attitudes towards psychiatric disorders and psychiatric patients by administering a specially designed proforma which recorded sociodemographic characteristics as well as attitudes. Majority of GPs were of the opinion that psychiatric disorders are inherited, can occur in any normal person living under stress, are treatable. They had positive attitude towards psychiatric illness but showed more social distance with mentally ill-person. Results are discussed and their implications are highlighted.