Pediatric referrals to psychiatry: II. Factors relating to delays in referral.

Delays in requesting psychiatric consultation were examined, in relation to 220 referrals from a medical ward in a pediatric hospital, to determine why children referred for psychiatric evaluation remained in hospital longer than the non-referred. Request delays did not correlate with age, sex, or length of hospitalization, but were likely to be shorter for acutely ill patients and those whose admission diagnosis evidenced the pediatrician's awareness of the possibility of significant emotional factors. The onus may be on the psychiatrist to increase the medical staff's awareness of the possibility that emotional factors often contribute to their patient's ills. This increased awareness may result in prompt referrals to psychiatry, and shorter, less costly hospitalization.