Detection and treatment of mental disorders in general health care

Mental health service delivery in the general health care sector is restricted with regard to understanding the magnitude and impact of mental illness in the medically ill (co-morbidity), as well as the significance of current mental health service delivery. A new model in development in the framework of a Biomed2 grant is presented. It consists of case-finding through complexity of hospital care prediction (COMPRI) followed by an integral health service needs assessment (INTERMED). It might serve to develop a more structural relation with the general health care sector for the management of mentally co-morbid high utilizing patients.