Syndromes of cognitive impairment
Syndromes of cognitive impairment As described on page 7, organic disorders are ‘diseases of the body’ which present with psychiatric symptoms. In contrast, functional psychiatric disorders are considered to be…
Personality disorders – introduction and classification
Personality disorders – introduction and classification Personality and its assessment Personality determines the way people behave and feel in response to things that happen to them. It has a strong…
Child psychiatry I
Child psychiatry I The psychiatric disorders that present in childhood are distinct from those in adults because they arise within complex and intimate family relationships, and are influenced by the…
Neurology and psychiatry
Neurology and psychiatry Many neurological conditions may present with cognitive impairment or psychiatric symptoms. Those conditions which are usually dealt with by neurologists or neuropsychiatrists are discussed below. Those which…
Forensic psychiatry
Forensic psychiatry Forensic psychiatry is a sub-speciality concerned with the assessment and treatment of mentally disordered offenders. A large part of the work of forensic psychiatrists is the assessment of…
Organic causes of psychiatric symptoms
Organic causes of psychiatric symptoms On pages 72 and 73, we discussed how organic disease can present with cognitive impairment. Patients with organic disease can also present with psychiatric symptoms…
Assessment of risk
Assessment of risk Assessment of patients with mental illness is not complete without an assessment of risk. The following risks should be considered in every case: suicide deliberate self harm…
Management plan and formulation
Management plan and formulation Management plan The management plan is a comprehensive plan of action that starts with the differential diagnosis and investigations necessary to reach a firm diagnosis, and…
Eating disorders
Eating disorders Anorexia nervosa was first described by William Gull in 1868 and is characterised by deliberate and extreme weight loss. In bulimia nervosa, episodes of overeating are followed by…
Psychiatry in primary care
Psychiatry in primary care The majority of people who are diagnosed with a mental illness have no contact with the psychiatric services; instead they are treated by their general practitioner…
