[Psychosomatic medicine in the general hospital: problem spectrum in a random sample of 100 internal medicine patients].

The psychosocial problems of a random sample of 100 patients in a medical department of a general hospital have been explored. About 15 to 20% of these patients suffered from terminal illness. About half of the patients felt physically and emotionally severely stressed. Besides the illness itself problems resulting of their life situation were the most important stressors, especially difficulties in family or partnership, loneliness and suicidal trends. Psychosocial factors seemed to influence the illness or the decision for hospital treatment at about 2/3 of the patients, at 21% this could be clearly concluded from the diagnosis made at the end of hospital treatment, mostly concerning alcoholism. Coping problems were found at 12 to 26% of the patients. The demands for psychosomatic treatment are high in general hospital, they differ much from those in specialized psychosomatic institutions.