The recognition of psychiatric morbidity on a medical oncology ward

• Published in: Journal of psychosomatic research Vol. 33; no. 2; pp. 235 - 239
• Main Authors: Hardman, Anthony, Maguire, Peter, Crowther, Derek
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier Inc 1989; New York, NY Elsevier
• Subjects: Anxiety Disorders - diagnosis; Biological and medical sciences; Depressive Disorder - diagnosis; Female; General aspects; Hospital Units; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Mental Disorders - complications; Mental Disorders - diagnosis; Middle Aged; Neoplasms - complications; Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Referral and Consultation; Human; Social environment; Clinical test; Body perception; Depression; Hospital environment; Psychometrics; Personality; Chemotherapy; Treatment; Psychosomatics; Surgery; Adult; Tumor; Anxiety; Psychopathology
• ISSN: 0022-3999; 1879-1360
• DOI: 10.1016/0022-3999(89)90051-2

The Generalised Health Questionnaire and Standardised Psychiatric Interview were used to determine psychiatric morbidity among 126 patients consecutively admitted to a medical oncology unit. Senior house officers and nurses also rated anxiety and depression. 36 (29%) patients were psychiatrically ill and affective disorders (29, 23%) predominated. Psychiatric morbidity was associated with feeling moderately or severely physically ill, and previous psychiatric illness, but not with awareness of having cancer or lack of a confiding tie. The General Health Questionnaire identified 79% of affective disorders at the cost of a 34% false positive rate. Doctors and nurses recognised only 49% of the depressed group; more of those with morbid anxiety (79%) were identified but only because they assumed most patients were anxious. Training in interviewing skills could substantially improve the identification and referral rates of patients with psychiatric morbidity.