Psychiatric evaluation of physical rehabilitation patients

We conducted a study to demonstrate the frequency and types of psychiatric/psychological symptoms. A Structured Interview according to the DSM-III-R was conducted which demonstrated that 46 (41.4%) of 111 rehabilitation inpatients met the criteria for some forms of psychiatric disorders: 34 patients for major depression, 10 for adjustment disorder with anxious mood, and 2 for posttraumatic stress disorder. The remaining 65 patients (58.6%) showed normal reactions to their diseases. Average length of hospital stay for patients with major depression was significantly longer than those with no or the other types of psychiatric disease. They were also tested with Zung's Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), Zung's Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), and Profile of Mood States (POMS). Three psychological tests were useful in detecting depression or adjustment disorder among rehabilitation patients; however, these tests are not always specific to the type of psychiatric disorders. Patients with higher scores in those three tests should be referred to a psychiatric consultant for detailed examinations and proper treatments, if necessary.