OBJECTIVES: Against the @entity283 implications of untreated @entity1032 among general hospital inpatients, this study aimed firstly to examine hospital physicians' level of referral to a @entity146 service, and secondly, to explore the extent of these doctors' knowledge of @entity146 issues by comparing their reasons for referring @entity1 with @entity1 ' final @entity146 diagnoses. METHODS: Over a one-year period, data were collected on all @entity1 referred to a consultation liaison @entity146 service at a multi-disciplinary teaching hospital. Reasons for referral and final @entity146 diagnosis were recorded. Official hospital census data were also used in the calculation of referral rates. Chi-square or Fisher's Exact tests were used as appropriate to explore potential associations between reasons for referral and @entity146 diagnosis. Statistical significance was taken at the 0.05 level. RESULTS: The referral rate was 1.5%. Strange and disruptive behaviour as reasons for referral were strongly associated with the presence of underlying medical conditions as the cause of mental disturbance. @entity148 and @entity716 as reasons for referral were associated with @entity148 and @entity914 respectively. @entity308 was often given as a reason for referral when clinical @entity308 was absent, but adjustment issues were prominent. CONCLUSIONS: The @entity146 service was underutilized. Generally, the @entity146 knowledge of physicians was fair However, closer attention to underlying medical conditions as a potential cause for @entity146 , disturbance, as well as to the difference between maladjustment and @entity308 , seems warranted. It is possible that clinicians were less able to detect mild to moderate cases of @entity146 .

XXXX and @entity283 : exploring the role of general hospital physicians at a teaching hospital in Jamaica.

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['patients'] @entity1032 :: ('MESH:D008607', 'Disease') :: ['mental illness'] @entity308 :: ('MESH:D003866', 'Disease') :: ['Depression', 'depression'] @entity283 :: ('OMIM:603663', 'Disease') :: ['public health'] @entity146 :: ('MESH:D001523', 'Disease') :: ['psychiatric', 'psychiatric illness'] @entity914 :: ('MESH:D011618', 'Disease') :: ['psychotic disorders'] @entity148 :: ('MESH:D001008', 'Disease') :: ['Anxiety', 'anxiety'] @entity716 :: ('MESH:D011605', 'Disease') :: ['psychotic symptoms']
@entity1032 :: (MESH:D008607,Disease) :: ['Mental illness']
