[Activities of the somato-psychiatric departments within the structure of multi-profile hospitals].

Analysis of the work of the ++somato-psychiatric departments entering a multiple-discipline hospital has shown that admission to these departments of patients with concomitant mental and somatic pathologies may be viewed as an episode for such patients. The latter ones cannot be regarded as a permanent group to be treated at the above departments. The duration of the stay at hospital is largely determined by the character of somatic pathology and, in a considerable number of cases, represents a stage in the psychiatric inpatient treatment. The data indicate that the present-day bed capacities in such departments (0.65 per 10 thousand adult and adolescent population) are insufficient. It is highly advisable that the number of such departments be increased.