Survey of osteoporosis in an inpatient geriatric psychiatric setting: a pilot study

Osteoporosis is a major public health issue. We examined geriatric psychiatric inpatients' awareness of having osteopenia and/or osteoporosis. The much lower proportion of our patients reporting a history of osteoporosis suggests that it might be under-diagnosed in this psychiatric population. A high proportion of our sample were treated with psychotropics that may decrease bone mineral density, however, most were not receiving any treatment for osteoporosis and fewer than expected were aware of a history of osteoporosis. Education of patients about this silent disease should be a priority for psychiatric nurses and the treatment team in an inpatient psychiatric setting.