[Request for psychiatric admission: data from eight general hospital psychiatric wards in Lombardy].
OBJECTIVE
To describe requests of admissions to eight General Hospital Psychiatric Wards (SPDC) in Lombardy, Italy, during November 1995.


METHODS
Descriptive prospective multicenter study.


METHODS
SPDCs of Busto Arsizio (VA), Calcinate (BG), Desio (MI), Magenta (MI), Merate (LC), Milano San Paolo I, Pavia, Treviglio (BG). The global catchment area sums up to 11% of the whole regional area, and to 18% of the population.


METHODS
We used a previously developed flow chart with two major key points: who decided to go to the hospital? Did a doctor confirm this initiative? Main sociodemographic characteristics, ICD10 diagnosis and previous psychiatric admissions were collected for each admission.


RESULTS
Admissions were 315, patients 246. In 9.5% of cases patients asked for admission without any medical advice. In one third of cases the ward psychiatrist was the first doctor to visit the patient. Compulsive admissions (TSO) were 45 (14.3%), although patient's initiative lacked in 55.6% of cases. A referral from Outpatient Departments (CPS) was present in 28.2%. First-ever admitted were 63 (25.6%): 20.7% sent by CPS, 16% by GPs, 11% by other non psychiatric wards.


CONCLUSIONS
Although Goldberg & Huxley's model described General Hospital Psychiatric Wards as the last level of intervention, our data show that Italian SPDCs work as "front lines" services: less than one admission out of two were referred by a psychiatrist. Problems raised by "self-referred" patients are conspicuous and an evaluation of the filtering function of CPSs seems necessary. In this regard, a comparison with different modalities of Department organization could be useful.
Politi
P
P
Istituto di Clinica Psichiatrica, Università di Pavia.
Tagliavini
G
G
Colleoni
V
V
Donati
D
D
Florian
A
A
Griffi
P G
PG
Mita
P
P
Panetta
B
B
Regazzetti
M
M
D003134:Commitment of Persons with Psychiatric Disorders; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D010343:Patient Admission; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011567:Psychiatric Department, Hospital; D012017:Referral and Consultation