A psychosomatic outpatient clinic.
Current emphasis in clinical psychosomatic medicine is on psychiatric interventions in acute medical and surgical situations (consultation-liaison psychiatry and medical-psychiatric units). Little interest has been taken in psychosomatic interventions in chronic situations and outpatient settings. The functioning of a psychosomatic outpatient clinic (POC) is described. One-hundred consecutive referrals were analyzed. The most frequent diagnostic finding--according to DSM III criteria--was subsumed under the rubric of "psychological factors affecting physical condition," followed by affective illness, anxiety disturbances, and somatoform disorders. The results indicate that a POC may serve a specific and definable segment of patients, whose characteristics depart from the clinical populations in consultation-liaison psychiatry and medical-psychiatric units.
Fava
G A
GA
Division of Psychosomatic Medicine, University of Bologna School of Medicine, Italy.
Trombini
G
G
Grandi
S
S
Bernardi
M
M
Canestrari
R
R
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D008875:Middle Aged; D010044:Outpatient Clinics, Hospital; D011611:Psychosomatic Medicine; D012017:Referral and Consultation