Psychiatric evaluation of rehabilitation patients

Patients undergoing physical rehabilitation have experienced a severe object loss and it is suggested that many patients in rehabilitation might have psychiatric disorders. We conducted a study to demonstrate the frequency and kinds of psychiatric and psychological symptoms. A Structured Interview according to the DSM-III-R was conducted, which demonstrated that 27 (43.5%) out of 62 rehabilitation inpatients met the criteria for some form of psychiatric disorders; 22 patients for major depression and five for adjustment disorder with anxious mood. The remaining 35 patients (56.5%) showed normal reactions to their diseases. They were also administered Zung's Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), Zung's Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS) and Profile of Mood States (POMS). These three psychological tests were useful in detecting depression or adjustment disorder among rehabilitation patients; but they were not always specific to the type of psychiatric disorders. Patients with higher scores in these inventories should be referred to a psychiatric consultant for detailed examinations and proper treatment if necessary.