THE DEVELOPMENT OF PSYCHIATRIC MEDICINE AT ISTANBUL FACULTY OF MEDICINE AND EVALUATION OF 889 PSYCHIATRIC REFERRALS

A clinical analysis of the psychiatric referrals (N = 889) during 1989 -1991 is presented. The most prevalent psychiatric syndromes seen in b oth inpatients and outpatients are compared with reference to those ar eas of psychopathology that are less frequently identified by nonpsych iatrist physicians. The distribution of psychiatric referrals accordin g to the various clinics in order of frequency was as follows: interna l medicine, surgery, dermatology, and neurology. The most frequent rea sons for consultation requests were (in order of frequency) the referr ing physician's difficulty in making a diagnosis; and patient anxiety, depression, adjustment problems, and past psychiatric illness in the history. Depressive illness was the most prevalent psychiatric disorde r among both inpatient and outpatient referrals. However, the frequenc y of alcohol and substance abuse disorder in the inpatient population was only 3.17% and organic brain syndrome was the least frequently rec ognized psychiatric syndrome by the other clinicians. In this report, the clinical activities of the Liaison Psychiatry Unit of the Psychiat ry Department in the Istanbul Medical Faculty are presented. The major problem areas and clinical training objectives of the Consultation-Li aison Psychiatry Unit are discussed.