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. 2018 Feb;42(1):19-23.
doi: 10.1192/bjb.2017.7.

Neurologists' detection and recognition of mental disorder in a tertiary in-patient neurological unit

Samr Dawood  1 , Norman Poole  2 , Robert Fung  2 , Niruj Agrawal  2
Affiliations

Neurologists' detection and recognition of mental disorder in a tertiary in-patient neurological unit

Samr Dawood et al. BJPsych Bull. 2018 Feb.

Abstract

Aims and method Psychiatric disorders are common in neurological in-patients, but they are under-recognised and undertreated. We investigated the frequency of detection of mental disorder and referral to psychiatric services in a regional neuroscience centre. The results were compared with the expected prevalence. All in-patient referrals received in 2014 from the in-patient wards of the regional neuroscience centre and acute neurological unit were reviewed.

Results: A total of 129 ward referrals were identified; of these, 78 were from the regional in-patient neurological unit, which comprised 11.4% of the total of 679 admissions to that unit. Clinical implications A spectrum of neuropsychiatric conditions were recognised by neurologists, but overall rates of recognition were low. To address the problem of under-recognition, routine screening with validated assessment tools can represent a cost-effective and acceptable method to detect psychiatric disorders in an in-patient neurological setting. Declaration of Interest None.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Distribution of patients per diagnostic categories.
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