Psychiatry in non-psychiatric setting--a comparative study of physicians and surgeons

The paper reports awareness of a group of physicians and surgeons about psychiatric disorders in clinical practice and their attitudes towards psychiatric referral. The study was carried out in a teaching general hospital. Sample consisted of 60 faculty members and senior residents belonging to various clinical disciplines. A 14-item structured questionnaire was used for assessment. The data were compared across the specialists from medical and surgical specialities. The main findings included underestimation of psychiatric morbidity by all the clinicians and a general reluctance to refer patients to a psychiatrist for varied reasons. However, most doctors considered psychiatric referral as useful. No major differences were noticed between surgeons and physicians regarding their attitudes and awareness about psychiatry. There is a need to increase the awareness of non-psychiatric clinicians about psychiatric disorders and to develop consultation-liaison psychiatric units and expand undergraduate medical education programmes in psychiatry in the developing countries.