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Psychiatric diagnosis in self-poisoning patients

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

P. Urwin  and
J. L. Gibbons
P. Urwin
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Southampton
J. L. Gibbons*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Southampton
*
2Address for correspondence: Professor J. L. Gibbons, Department of Psychiatry, Royal South Hants Hospital, Southampton S09 4PE.
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Synopsis

The Present State Examination was administered to 539 patients who attended a casualty department after an act of self-poisoning during the course of a year. Computer analysis by means of the Catego program showed that 30% of the patients had insufficient symptoms to be considered as psychiatric ‘cases’. Fewer than 4% had symptoms of functional psychosis. About 60% of the patients were classed as depressed: on several indices this group was less severely ill than a group of depressives receiving psychiatric treatment. It is suggested that psychiatric treatment is essential for only a small proportion of self-poisoning patients. The effectiveness of psychiatric treatment for the large group of patients with depressive disorders of minor severity and probably short duration has still to be evaluated.

Type
Research Article
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 9 , Issue 3 , August 1979 , pp. 501 - 507
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1979

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