A study of inpatient referral patterns to a general hospital psychiatry unit in India.

The pattern of inpatient referral to a general hospital psychiatry department was examined in the present study. The referral rate of 3.6% was higher than those reported by other investigators from India. The majority of the patients had concurrent physical illness. Neurotic depression and alcohol dependence were the most frequent diagnoses. A diagnosis of schizophrenia was relatively infrequent. Among the patients referred for consultation, there was a high percentage of cases of self-inflicted injury and poisoning. Psychiatric disturbances were of transient nature in about one third of the cases. In about 20% of the cases, no physical illness was detected and their somatic complaints were considered to be psychologically determined.