title: [Non-urgent patients in a non-traumatology Emergency Service; general aspects and screening for psychiatric disorders].
abstract: The Emergency Department is used by a rather large number of patients with a non-urgent condition. It is unknown whether the request for medical assistance for non-urgent conditions is partly due to the presence of a mental disorder. We conducted a cross-sectional study of 711 patients of a non-traumatic Emergency Department. The prevalence and determinants of non-urgent conditions and of mental disorders of non-urgent patients were studied. Of all patients, 31% had a non-urgent condition. Self-referrals and young adults more often had a non-urgent condition. However, in our study only 17% of all patients were self-referred. The prevalence of a score greater than or equal to 5 on the general health questionnaire (GHQ), an indication of the presence of a mental disorder, in the non-urgent patients was 59%. Non-acute symptoms, life events, the use of psychotropic drugs and alcoholism were determinants for a high GHQ score, but their specificity was low. It is advised to include questions concerning mental disorders in the medical interview of non-urgent patients.
authors.affiliation: Afd. Psychiatrie, Academisch Ziekenhuis, Leiden.
authors.forename: C G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Kooiman
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: van Hemert
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Bolk
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hermans
mesh_terms: D000046:Academic Medical Centers; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004630:Emergencies / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
vernacular_title: Non-urgente patiënten op een niet-traumatologische afdeling Spoedeisende Hulp; algemene kenmerken en een screening op psychiatrische stoornissen.