A study of crying in medically and surgically hospitalized patients.
In a prospective study of hospitalized patients referred to a psychiatry consultation service, 46 patients were referred for a presumed diagnosis of depression because crying was a prominent symptom. Psychiatric consultation determined that 20% had a psychiatric disorder only, 33% had a neurological disorder only, 43% had both psychiatric and neurological disorders, and 4% had a previously undescribed entity, "essential" crying. The most common neurological disorder in these crying patients was bilateral hemispheric dysfunction associated with dementia or delirium; the most common psychiatric disorder was major depression. Effective therapy for patients who cry depends on proper identification of the cause of crying.
D003448:Crying; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D019965:Neurocognitive Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012017:Referral and Consultation