CONSULTATION-LIAISON PSYCHIATRY - PROSPECTIVE-STUDY AT A GENERAL-HOSPITAL

This study was conducted in Halifax, Nova Scotia, in a 740 bed univers ity general hospital. For a period of two years, a prospective collect ion of data on 692 psychiatric consultations showed that 60% of all co nsultations came from internal medicine departments. Medical and psych iatric comorbidity was found in 50% of the patients; depression was di agnosed in 27.5% of the cases but schizophrenia in only 1.7%. Suicidal ideation was reported by 24% of the patients, 11.6% of them wishing t o die imminently. More than 50% of suicidal patients were under 35 yea rs of age; 42% of them were dependent on alcohol. Almost 30% of the pa tients seen in consultation admitted to being addicted to alcohol, 22% to benzodiazepines and 14% to illicit drugs. Among the ex-alcoholic p atients, a significant dependence in benzodiazepine use was found. The patients with addictions to street drug had a greater suicide risk an d were at the same time abusing alcohol. This paper will describe the overall functioning of a consultation-liaison psychiatric service and will analyze the impact of psycho-active substance abuse in a general hospital setting. The results will be compared with those in the liter ature.