Managment of psychiatric disorders in medically ill patients, including emergencies.

Introduction The coexistence of psychiatric disorders (PDs) in patients with medical illnesses (MI) may infl uence both the diagnosis and the course of the illness by their effect on pathophysiological, diagnostic, and therapeutic processes. There may also be effects on patients’ concordance with treatment and on their relationships with health care staff. Many factors are changing the management of and relationship between MI and PDs: increased life-expectancy, increasing survival of severe illness (i.e. risk of other MI and PDs); social changes affecting family structure (with effects on caregiving), changes in the role of women (body image, work, delayed maternity); increased immigration with increased cultural pluralità including different concepts of MI and PDs (§1.3.2); increased use of medical and sychopharmacological drugs; changing organization of health care and social assistance (from hospital-based to community-based care). This chapter describes how to recognize, treat, and manage PDs in MI.