Somatic comorbidities in patients with mental disorders have become an important issue. They complicate therapeutic management and aggravate the prognosis.

Outline the nature of somatic disorders observed in psychiatry and assess the different interactions between psychiatric pathologies and organic diseases.

We conducted a descriptive retrospective study including 60 patients hospitalized in a psychiatry department during 2 years (2013 and 2014). We included patients having presented a somatic disorder at their admission. Data collection was based on psychiatric and clinical observations.

At the admission, somatic examination was abnormal in 53.3% of cases: skin abnormalities 28.3%; blood pressure abnormalities 8.3%. An abnormality of the initial biological tests has been reported in 51.7% of patients: leukocytosis 18.3%; liver test abnormalities 13.3%; hematologic abnormalities 8.3%. The electro-cardiograph was pathologic in 35% of cases. These anomalies have required advices from medical and surgical services: cardiology 33.3%; endocrinology 10%, orthopedics 10%. The relationship between somatic and psychiatric pathology was: a comorbidity: 55%; a side effect of psychotropic drug: 5%; an organic origin of the psychiatric disorder: 6.6% and a somatic disorder secondary to the psychiatric pathology: 10%. In the course of this investigation, 6.6% of patients were transferred urgently to a specialist department, the psychotropic treatment was stopped in 10% of cases, and a therapeutic adjustment was necessary in 6.6% of cases.

Our study confirms the importance of somatic assessment of patients with mental illnesses. This must be a systematic practice in order to detect in time patients at risk of somatic complications.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.