Background. This study aimed to assess psychiatric morbidity and to collect information on disability, life events and family support in a representative sample of patients admitted to a general hospital.

Methods. On the basis of information collected in a pilot study a systematic sample of patients consecutively admitted to seven general medical and seven surgical wards of the Academic General Hospital of Verona was selected and interviewed using a two-phase screening procedure and standardized instruments (GHQ-12, HADS, BDQ and CIDI-PHC). All data were analysed using appropriately weighted logistic regression procedures.

Results. A total of 1039 patients completed the GHQ-12 and 298 (28·7%) were high-scorers: 363 patients were interviewed with CIDI-PHC. The prevalence of ICD-10 cases was 26·1%. The most common psychiatric diagnoses were current depression (12·8%) and generalized anxiety disorder (10·8%), followed by alcohol related disorders (5%). A higher prevalence of ICD-10 cases was found in medical wards, among females, patients older than 24 years, unemployed and separated/divorced people. Life events were associated with psychopathology, and so was the number of disability days. Although 49·8% of ICD-10 cases were identified by the hospital doctors as having a psychological disorder, 23·1% of ICD-10 cases were referred to the liaison psychiatric service.

Conclusion. The results of the present study stress the need to collect epidemiologically-based data on psychological disorders and their recognition not only in general practice, but also in general hospital settings, in order to have a more complete picture of the pathways to specialist care.