Liaison psychiatry

Liaison psychiatry, also known as consultation psychiatry, is the branch of psychiatry that specializes in the interface between general medicine and psychiatry, usually taking place in a hospital or medical setting. The role of the liaison psychiatrist is to see patients with comorbid medical conditions at the request of the treating medical or surgical consultant or team.

History

The term "liaison psychiatry" was first used in 1959 by the American psychiatrist Don R. Lipsitt in the title of a book on consultation-liaison psychiatry. Lipsitt, who is considered the father of the field, defined liaison psychiatry as "the provision of psychiatric treatment to patients on medical, surgical, and obstetrical floors of a general hospital by a team of psychiatrists and associated health professionals."

Role

Liaison psychiatry includes the clinical, educational, and research aspects of psychiatry as they relate to patients in the non-psychiatric divisions of a general hospital. This includes patients in the emergency department, inpatient medical and surgical units, and outpatient clinics. Liaison psychiatrists work closely with other medical professionals to identify and manage psychiatric symptoms and disorders in these patients, including delirium, depression, anxiety, and substance misuse, as well as psychiatric symptoms related to medical illnesses or treatments.

Training

Training in liaison psychiatry involves a one-year fellowship after completing a residency in psychiatry. The fellowship includes clinical work, research, and teaching, with a focus on the psychiatric care of medically ill patients.

See also

• Psychosomatic medicine
• Consultation-liaison psychiatry
• Psychiatry
• General hospital psychiatry