The objective of this study was to assess general practitioners' (GPs) ability for identifying common psychiatric disorders and to implement a standard short-term educational programme and test its effectiveness in improving the GPs' attitudes, knowledge and diagnostic and management skills using the tenth revision of the International Statistical Classification of Mental and Behavioural Disorders' primary health care (ICD-10 PHG) version of mental disorders. Twenty GPs working in six primary health care centres in the Ismailia Governorate in Egypt were selected. Pre-training assessment was performed on 180 patients having mental disorders. Post-training assessment was also performed on 180 patients having mental disorders. The ICD-10 training kit was used as a guide for the training. The trained GPs showed a significant positive change in their attitude improvement for all items of interview skills and knowledge about psychotic, anxiety and substance use disorders and also in their knowledge about psychotherapy and drug therapy. A significant positive change in their diagnostic and management skills was observed. The results of this study demonstrate the feasibility of a training course for GPs in a primary care setting using the ICD-10 PHC version for mental disorders.