Pattern of gastroenterology psychiatric consultations : a prospective study

Abstract EN

Background & Objective: The relationship between gastrointestinal complaints and psychiatry remains complex in spite of the studies done to explore it at different levels and in many functional GI disorders.

This study is the first in Saudi Arabia to study the pattern of GI consultations to psychiatry prospectively, aiming to explore the basic relationship between the GI physician and the psychiatrist.

Methods: All GI referrals to psychiatry at King Khalid University Hospital (KKUH) in Riyadh were assessed prospectively over a period of three years.

Sociodemographic data, clinical indices of referral and clinical diagnoses were analyzed.

Results: Twenty-six patients were referred in the period of the study.

The total referral rate was 2.6% and the time lag for referral was 2.87 days.

The commonest reason for referral was for psychiatric evaluation in 76.9%.

Although few patients were told about the referral, the majority of them cooperated with the psychiatrist and accepted treatment.

The commonest psychiatric disorder was depression and the commonest GI disorder for which there was a referral was irritable bowel syndrome.

Conclusion: This study, in spite of its small size sample, reflects a longitudinal prospective pattern of GI referrals to psychiatry in which severe, chronic, and complicated patients were usually referred.

Psychotropic medication and psychotherapy were needed for these patients.

Further research is definitely needed to explore many areas of the consultation-liaison psychiatry with GI.