Psychiatric referrals from an accident and emergency department in Singapore

Abstract

A total of 500 consecutive psychiatric referrals from the Accident and Emergency (A and D) Department of the National University Hospital of Singapore were studied with regard to their demographic characteristics, diagnoses, presenting problems and management. There were 314 females (62.8%) and 186 males (37.2%), and the mean age of subjects was 35.5 years. The three main diagnoses were anxiety disorders (25.6%), depression (19.4%) and schizophrenia (17.6%). About 41% were admitted, of whom two-fifths were initially admitted to the medical ward because of drug overdose or alcohol intoxication. A further 34% were treated as out-patients, and 21% were discharged.