[Psychiatric service in Denmark]

The aim of the study was to assess the present psychiatric services in somatic departments in Denmark. A questionnaire was sent to all psychiatric departments in Denmark. All questionnaires were returned. During 1996 11,602 adult psychiatric consultations covering 87% of all beds in general hospitals in Denmark were performed. Mean and SD of the consultancy frequency, i.e. consultations/somatic bed/year, were 0.62 (0.34). The consultancy frequency was significantly higher, when the service included somatic emergency rooms or outpatients, or if the consultant performed the consultation together with a team member. Furthermore, it was significantly higher, when the consultant attended treatment conferences at the somatic departments or yielded supervision. The frequency of the psychiatric consultations performed by the staff from the former State Mental Hospitals was half of the frequency of the psychiatric departments at General Hospitals.