Psychiatric components of medical and surgical practice: a survey of general hospital physicians.

A questionnaire was sent to 206 internists and surgeons asking them to estimate the following: the frequency of psychiatric disorders and behavioral problems among their patients, the type and frequency of psychiatric medication they prescribed, the psychiatric consultation services they most valued, and the type of psychiatric problems they considered emergencies. These physicians estimated that 14% of their patients had significant psychiatric problems; the most frequently mentioned was depression. More than 25% of the physicians prescribed minor tranquilizers, sedatives, and antidepressants at least once a week. Violent behavior was considered a psychiatric emergency by the majority of physicians. There were significant differences between the responses of internists and those of surgeons.