Citation

Annunziato RA, Rubinstein D, Sheikh S, Maurer M, Cotter G, McKay MM, Milo-Cotter O, Gorman JM, Shemesh E. Psychosomatics 2008; 49(5): 386-391.

Affiliation

Department of Psychiatry, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY 10029, USA. rachel.annunziato@mssm.edu

Copyright

(Copyright © 2008, Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine, Publisher Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1176/appi.psy.49.5.386

PMID

18794506

Abstract

BACKGROUND: In medical care settings, mental health symptoms of depression and distress are associated with poor medical outcomes, yet they are often underrecognized. OBJECTIVE: Authors sought to examine the effect of having immediate mental-health screening in the cardiology clinic. METHOD: The Patient Health Questionnaire and the Impact of Event Scale were used to screen for depression and distress in 316 patients at an urban cardiology clinic. Because of poor follow-up rates, a psychiatrist was placed on the premises of the cardiology clinic to facilitate referrals. RESULTS: Placing a psychiatrist within the cardiology clinic significantly improved the rate of successful referrals. CONCLUSION: Because 45 patients (14%) endorsed suicidal thoughts, authors conclude that mental health screening programs should include an immediate evaluation by a clinician.

Language: en