Patients' reactions to psychiatric consultation

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• General Hospital Care
• Patient Experience

Background:

• Physicians often worry that patients may react negatively to psychiatric consultations.
• Understanding patient perceptions is crucial for effective interdisciplinary care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess patient attitudes towards psychiatric consultations in a general hospital setting.
• To identify factors influencing patient acceptance of psychiatric referrals.

Main Methods:

• Interviewed 60 general hospital patients 24 hours after their psychiatric consultation.
• Analyzed patient attitudes based on demographics, illness duration, referral reasons, and initial disposition.

Main Results:

• Nearly two-thirds of patients found the psychiatric consultation beneficial.
• Positive attitudes were more common in patients with long-term illnesses and those initially ambivalent.
• Substance abusers and patients denying psychiatric disorders were less likely to value the consultation, though physicians often found it useful.

Conclusions:

• Patients' positive reception of psychiatric consultations can be significantly enhanced by the referring physician's preparation.
• Effective communication by the primary physician is key to overcoming potential patient resentment towards psychiatric referrals.