Accurate diagnosis of patients' distress levels: The effect of family physicians' ability to take the patient's perspective.

Objective: Previous research on diagnosis of distress among patients with physical ailments has focused on physicians who specialize in the treatment of chronic illness. This study explores family physicians' accuracy in diagnosing patients' emotional distress.

Methods: Questionnaires were administered to family physicians (N=61) and their patients (N=496) immediately after a medical encounter.