2015 Volume 27 Issue 1 Pages 36-43
In the Asakura Medical Association Hospital (our hospital), one psychiatrist performs consultation-liaison services for only half a day each week, as a part-time service. In our hospital, all information regarding patients with psychiatric symptoms and those requiring mental follow-up is gathered by clinical psychologists, and these clinical psychologists intervene for all such patients and refer to a psychiatrist only when necessary. Consequently, about 70% of the referred patients undergo intervention with clinical psychologists alone. While the psychiatrist is on duty for half a day, in many cases, consultation-liaison services may be sufficient with the clinical psychologists alone. In our hospital, many cases improved with clinical psychologist intervention and did not require pharmacotherapy for adjustment disorders. The activities of the clinical psychologists in our hospital suggest that clinical psychologists are essential in a general hospital without a full-time psychiatrist in charge, and suggest that it could be recommended to expand their activity in hospitals with a part-time psychiatrist.
