Relation Between Psychiatric Symptoms and Physical Disorders in Outpatients Referred to the Psychiatric Clinic From the Viewpoint of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry

The present study is based on data of 541 cases visiting the psychiatric clinic as outpatients with referral from other non-psychiatric medical clinics during 3 years, (1986 to 1988). Psychiatric evaluation was made on all of the cases, and relation between psychiatric symptoms and physical disorders was investigated. In 137 of 541 cases, the psychiatric symptoms were considered as being caused by physical disorders involving organic brain disorders. In 104 cases, their psychiatric symptoms or problems occurrerd and developed as psychological reaction to the physical disorders and/or medical treatment. One hundred and five cases were categorized into somatoform disorder (DSM-IIIR) including conversion disorder and somatization disorder, because the physical symptoms were linked to psychological factors or conflicts, and were not adequately explained by physical disorders. One hundred and eighteen cases were diagnosed as functional psychiatric disorder (schizophrenic disorder, depression or anxiety disorder, etc.) In the remainder (45 cases) there was no cause-result relation between physical illness and psychiatric disorder, i.e. the physical illness and psychiatric disorder overlapped coincidentally. Significance of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry in general hospital medicine was stressed and discussed