Psychiatric referrals from an accident and emergency department in Singapore

A total of 500 consecutive psychiatric referrals from the Accident and Emergency (A&D) Department of the National University Hospital of Singapore were studied with regard to their demographic characteristics, diagnoses, presenting problems and management. There were 314 females (62.8%) and 186 males (37.2%), and the mean age of subjects was 35.5 years. The three main diagnoses were anxiety disorders (25.6%), depression (19.4%) and schizophrenia (17.6%). About 41% were admitted, of whom two-fifths were initially admitted to the medical ward because of drug overdose or alcohol intoxication. A further 34% were treated as out-patients, and 21% were discharged.