Multiphasic Screening Programme for Somatic Diseases Among Elderly Long-Term Psychiatric Patients

Abstract

Older people in institutions are often disabled by physical disease (Wilson et al., 1962). Psychiatric patients, in general, have more somatic disorders than mentally healthy people (Westrin, 1961; Shepherd et al., 1964; Maguire and Granville-Grossman, 1968). In fact, most elderly long-term psychiatric patients in hospital suffer from one or more somatic disorders (Ask, 1962). Even a small improvement in the general health of these patients may be of importance for their daily life activities, and also reduce the requirements for assistance. An established regular somatic screening of these patients will help to detect disease which otherwise may be over-looked.