[A method of detection psychosocial problems at the family physician's office].

Objective: To find the value of the Stressful Vital Events (SVE) scale for detecting patients with psycho-social problems and how these affect family function.

Design: A descriptive, crossover study with systematic sampling.

Setting: Almanjayar Health Centre.

Patients And Other Participants: 202 patients (138 women and 64 men) who attended for on-demand consultations at two clinics during October and November 1994. They were selected systematically, 1 from every 5, with under-18s eliminated.

Interventions: The GHQ, SVE and Family APGAR tests were self-administered. The GHQ test was used to detect psycho-social problems, SVE to measure stressful vital events and the APGAR family to find family function.

Measurements And Main Results: 46% (94) had psycho-social problems; 53% (107), positive scoring in the SVE test; and 21% (42), family dysfunction. The relationship between SVE and GHQ was significant (p < 0.0001), but relationships with the APGAR weren't.

Conclusions: We consider that exploration of SVEs is a good way of detecting psycho-social problems.