This section outlines the clinical features of the main mental health problems that general practitioners are likely to encounter in their daily work. We have tried to keep the content of this part focused on the needs of the busy practitioner, providing practical advice and guidance, as well as pointing to supporting resources such as relevant websites. In addition we have asked authors to provide links to further reading for those who wish to delve more deeply into the subject matter of each chapter.

As far as possible, management advice is supported by evidence, but of course in many cases the evidence base that supports treatment recommendations comes from settings other than primary care. We have tried to make this clear as far as possible, and so these chapters are also a useful guide to where gaps in the evidence exist and where further research is needed. Because all the editors of this book work in the UK, current management guidance leans heavily on UK recommendations, but we have tried as far as possible to broaden this to include guidance from other sources where it is available.