Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gbm5v Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-25T16:52:19.403Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Liaison psychiatry in detection and management of mental illness

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Margaret Semple*
Affiliation:
Royal Dundee Liff Hospital, Liff by Dundee, DD2 5NF
David Brown
Affiliation:
Gartnavel Royal Hospital, Glasgow G12 0YN
Elizabeth Irvine
Affiliation:
Royal Dundee Liff Hospital, Liff by Dundee DD2 5NF
*
Margaret Semple, Consultant Psychiatrist, Hairmyres Hospital, East Kilbride G75 8RG
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Of 299 referrals to the Dundee general psychiatry liaison service over a six month period, deliberate self-harm (DSH) was the reason in 83%. An overdose was used in 94%, and alcohol misuse occurred in 56% of DSH episodes. Fifty-two per cent of referrals were followed up by the general psychiatry service; 31% of these were admitted directly to a psychiatric ward, 10% on a compulsory basis. At follow-up, 23% remained in contact with the Dundee psychiatric service. Twenty-three per cent of all patients referred to the Area Alcohol Service (AAS) were in contact with it six months later. Clearly, liaison psychiatry has a role in detection and management of significant mental disorder.

Type
Original Papers
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1996

References

Crombie, I. K. (1990) Suicide in England and Wales and in Scotland. An examination of divergent trends. British Journal of Psychiatry, 157, 529532.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hall, D. J. (1994) A psychiatric liaison service in a general hospital. Referrals and their appropriateness. Scottish Medical Journal, 39, 141144.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mayou, R., Anderson, H., Feinmann, C., et al (1990) The present state of consultation and liaison psychiatry. Psychiatric Bulletin, 14, 321325.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mayou, R., Simpkin, S. & Cobb, A. (1994) Use of psychiatric services by patients referred to a consultation unit. General Hospital Psychiatry, 16, 354357.Google Scholar
O'Brien, G. O., Holton, A. R., Hurren, K., et al (1987) Deliberate self harm and prediction of outpatient attendance. British Journal of Psychiatry, 150, 246247.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.