Physical illness in male psychiatric patients

Abstract

The present study was designed to estimate the incidence of physical illness amongst new male admissions to Mount Carmel Hospital, Malta from April 1974 to March 1975; and in particular to discuss the relationship between the physical and the psychiatric abnormality. Of the 278 male admissions, 26 per cent had a physical condition needing attention. In 16 per cent no apparent relationship was found, yet the investigation of the physical state was important to reveal unsuspected disease. In 4 per cent bodily disease was the primary case of the mental disorder. Recovery from the latter depended in the remission of the organic illness. Physical disability made an important contribution to the causation of the psychological illness in 2.5 per cent of patients.