Factors affecting disability in patients attending the internal medicine departments of general hospitals

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of sociodemographic fac tors, physical factors and mental factors on the physical and social disabi lity of patients attending outpatient clinics of general hospitals. Physica l and psychiatric morbidity in 1580 consecutive patients attending the inte rnal medicine department of general hospitals was assessed using a stratifi ed two-stage sampling design method. Of the total, 336 patients completed t he second stage interview composed of Primary Care Version of Composite Int ernational Diagnostic Interview and Groningen Social Disability Schedule to assess sociodemographic, physical and mental factors. In this study, restr icted activity days, disability days and Brief Disability Questionnaire wer e used for the assessment of physical disability, and Groningen Social Disa bility Schedule was used for social disability. Sociodemographic, physical and mental factors were all related to disability. Among sociodemographic f actors, unemployment was associated with physical disability and social dis ability mildly. Among physical factors, the severity of physical disease wa s not associated with disability and medically explained somatic symptoms w ere associated with disability. Furthermore, the mental factor was more str ongly associated with physical and social disability. It could be said that the mental factor is more strongly associated with physical and social dis ability than sociodemographic or physical factors. In addition, even mild m ental symptoms not leading to ICD-10 mental disorders affected disability. From the viewpoint of the patients' burden, it is important to assess the m ental symptoms as well as physical status in outpatient clinics of internal medicine or primary care.