Functioning and well-being of patients in a consultation-liaison psychiatry clinic.
Outpatient consultation-liaison (C-L) psychiatry clinics are valuable settings for research and teaching endeavors. However, little is known about psychiatric symptoms and health status of persons treated in such settings. In this study, 80 persons seen in an outpatient C-L psychiatry clinic were compared with 100 persons seen in a mood disorder clinic on a variety of self-report instruments. Outpatient C-L clinic patients were found to have significantly poorer health status than mood clinic patients on the following domains as measured by the RAND instrument: general health perception, pain, physical functioning, and role functioning due to physical problems. Both groups had poor role functioning due to emotional problems and poor social functioning. The groups did not differ in depressive symptoms but C-L patients were significantly less anxious. Thus, it appears that patients in an outpatient C-L setting not only have significant medical comorbidity, as expected, but have levels of psychiatric distress comparable to that seen in a traditional psychiatry outpatient setting. These findings indicate that such a clinic is a fertile area for research and training in the diagnosis and treatment of persons with comorbid physical and mental disorders.
Epstein
S A
SA
Department of Psychiatry, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20007, USA.
Gonzales
J J
JJ
Stockton
P
P
Goldstein
D M
DM
Green
B L
BL
D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000523:psychology; D000328:Adult; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D004219:District of Columbia; D005260:Female; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010044:Outpatient Clinics, Hospital; D010348:Patient Care Team; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011567:Psychiatric Department, Hospital; D011570:Psychiatry / Q000193:education*; D011594:Psychometrics; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D012803:Sick Role; D012917:Social Adjustment; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D016896:Treatment Outcome