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Psychiatric Morbidity in an Accident and Emergency Department

Characteristics of Patients at Presentation and One Month Follow-up

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 January 2018

Paul M. Salkovskis ,
David Storer ,
Chris Atha  and
Hilary M. C. Warwick
Paul M. Salkovskis*
Affiliation:
University of Oxford Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, Oxford OX3 7JX
David Storer
Affiliation:
Department of Liaison Psychiatry, The General Infirmary at Leeds, Great George Street, Leeds
Chris Atha
Affiliation:
Department of Liaison Psychiatry, The General Infirmary at Leeds, Great George Street, Leeds
Hilary M. C. Warwick
Affiliation:
University of Oxford Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, Oxford OX3 7JX
*
∗Correspondence
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Abstract

In order to evaluate how many patients presenting at accident and emergency (A&E) departments show signs of psychiatric disturbance, 140 consecutive medical presentations to an A&E department were evaluated using a range of simple self-report and rater measures, then followed up a month later. High levels of reported psychological problems were detected at screening, and these persisted at follow-up. Correlates of psychological disturbance and repeated attendance at A&E were investigated, indicating the relevance and feasibility of psychiatric intervention related to simple predictors.

Type
Research Article
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 156 , Issue 4 , April 1990 , pp. 483 - 487
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1990 

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