Patient opinions on the helpfulness of external rehabilitative activities in residential psychiatric care: a pilot study.

Introduction: This study explores the patient opinions about the helpfulness of the External Rehabilitative Activities (ERA) delivered in two residential facilities for psychiatric rehabilitation.

Methods: We administered a Questionnaire developed to assess general helpfulness, helpfulness of specific therapeutic processes and satisfaction with the ERA to a sample of 46 psychiatric patients participating in at least three external activities.

Results: The External Rehabilitative Activities, tested by the ERA-Questionnaire, were considered helpful or very helpful by most of the patients.

Factors related to admission of psychiatric patients to medical wards from the general hospital emergency department: a 3-year study of urgent psychiatric consultations.

Objective: Emergency Rooms (ER) of Emergency Departments (ED) in General Hospitals (GH) have a role in providing for psychiatric evaluation. The aims of the present study were to examine the decision-making process of consultation psychiatry at the GH-ER and to analyze the differences between psychiatric patients admitted to a medical ward with those admitted to the psychiatry unit and those who are discharged from the ER.

Method: Over a period of 3 years, psychiatric consultations requested by ER of ED physicians to the GH Psychiatric service were recorded by using a form to describe epidemiological and clinical data on the consultation process.

Psychosocial morbidity and its correlates in cancer patients of the Mediterranean area: findings from the Southern European Psycho-Oncology Study.

Background: A few and partial data are available on psychosocial morbidity among cancer patients in Mediterranean countries. As a part of a more general investigation (Southern European Psycho-Oncology Study-SEPOS), the rate of psychosocial morbidity and its correlation with clinical and cultural variables were examined in cancer patients in Italy, Portugal and Spain.

Methods: A convenience sample of cancer outpatients with good performance status and no cognitive impairment were approached.