[Telepsychiatry--psychiatric advice on the Internet].

UNLABELLED

Telepsychiatry is a medical service with a use of contemporary communication technologies. Internet and electronic mail are included.

AIM

The aim of the study was to examine the use of electronic mail in psychiatric advices.

METHOD

Anonymous electronic mail (327) sent to the author from June 2001 to May 2002 were selected. They were then processed according to the following criteria: patient age and gender, person who was a subject of consultation, reason and subject of a consultation and prevailing symptoms of a disease. Data frequencies were obtained.

RESULTS

75% of patients referred their own psychiatric problem. The most frequent reasons of consultation were: a cry for help (44%), question about a disease (27%), consultation of a diagnosis (16%) or a therapy (13%). The biggest groups of symptoms related to fear (38%), disturbances of mood (18%), schizophrenic symptoms (13.5%) and sexual dysfunctions (10.5%).

CONCLUSIONS

Psychiatrists on the Internet may expect an increase of electronic mail applicability in psychiatric advising. There is a need of medical, legal and ethical regulations of by-Internet doctor-patient relationship. Electronic mail may be treated as a source of knowledge on psychopathological symptoms and epidemiology of mental disturbances amongst the internet users.