title: Physical illness in chronic psychiatric patients from a community psychiatric unit. The implications for daily practice.
abstract: The prevalence and significance of physical diseases, and health-care-seeking behaviour, were examined in a sample of 218 chronic psychiatric patients from an urban community psychiatric unit. Only 14% declined medical screening. Of the respondents, 53% had one or more probable or certain physical diseases warranting further medical attention. The majority of the diseases found were minor and typical of primary care problems. A severe (i.e. life-threatening) disease was present in 7% of respondents. Of the patients, 87% visited their GP at least once a year. The implications are that frequent consultation with primary care specialists and health-care-seeking behaviour should be noted, and included in any evaluation of the medical needs of chronic patients in community psychiatric care.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mental Health Sciences, University of Limburg, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Honig
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pop
authors.forename: E S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Philipsen
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Romme
mesh_terms: D003155:Community Mental Health Centers; D006801:Humans; D009098:Multiphasic Screening / Q000639:trends*; D009426:Netherlands; D019965:Neurocognitive Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000639:trends*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012803:Sick Role