Study of referrals to department of psychiatry in tertiary care general hospital setting

Abstract

Background: Study of referral pattern to psychiatry helps us to understand the type of patients and the rate of referral from individual departments. It also helps us to understand the need for consultation liaison services (CLP) thereby strengthening the General Hospital Psychiatric Units (GHPU) Aim: To study the referral pattern to psychiatry in a tertiary care teaching hospital. Materials and Methods: All referrals to the department of psychiatry for a period of two months were included in the study. Sociodemographic details, reasons for referral and the department from which referred were noted. The Psychiatric diagnosis was made according to the ICD -10 criteria. The overall referral rate to psychiatry and referral from individual departments was noted and descriptive statistics was applied to represent the same. Results: The overall referral rate to psychiatry was found to be 1.17% with majority being from medical specialities (62%). The most common reasons for referral have been suicidal attempts and most common psychiatric disorder diagnosed among referred has been delirium. Conclusion: The low levels of referrals to psychiatry emphasize the need for better consultation liaison services.

Keywords

• referrals
• consulatation-liasion
• general hospital psychiatric units.