The Work of the Psychiatrist in a Rehabilitation Hospital

Over an 18 month period, 49 patients in a physical rehabilitation hospital were referred to an attached psychiatrist. Formal psychiatric disorder was uncommon, and the mood changes and behaviour disturbances observed often resulted from a poor adjustment to recent physical disability by patients or their families. The most important role of the psychiatrist in management was in helping rehabilitation staff use their own skills to deal effectively with the inevitable emotional disturbances which occur in this setting.