title: The first hundred referrals to a new consultation-liaison psychiatric service at the Port Moresby General Hospital, Papua New Guinea.
abstract: Research workers in Africa have shown that psychiatric morbidity is widespread, with prevalence rates ranging between 20 and 50% of the primary health care clinic attendance. In September 1987 a new consultation-liaison psychiatric service was started at the Port Moresby General Hospital. The results of a descriptive study of the first hundred referrals to the service are presented and discussed. The sources of referral were internal medicine (83%), general surgery (11%) and obstetrics and gynaecology (6%). There were no referrals from the division of paediatrics in this study. It was concluded that the results have demonstrated acceptance of the consultation-liaison psychiatric service by non-psychiatric specialist colleagues.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Papua New Guinea, Boroko, NCD.
authors.forename: F Y
authors.initials: FY
authors.lastname: Johnson
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D009512:New Guinea; D015995:Prevalence; D011567:Psychiatric Department, Hospital; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D013223:Statistics as Topic