Psychiatric consultation in the eastern Canadian Arctic: II. Referral patterns, diagnoses and treatment.

The clinical activities of the Baffin Consultation Service of the Clarke Institute of Psychiatry were examined. Demographic and clinical data are described based on clinical interviews and questionnaire items from 581 initial psychiatric referrals. More women than men were referred to the service; the mean age of the patients seen was 27.3 +/- 13.4 years. The majority of referred patients were single and unemployed. The most common reasons for referral were depression, suicidal ideation, suicide attempts and family problems. The major diagnoses made were adjustment reactions and depressive disorders. Treatment was largely carried out in an outpatient setting through local health care professionals. The implications of these findings for this population and the development of community-based intervention programs are discussed.