Psychiatric comorbidity in hospitalized patients evaluated by psychiatric consultation in a Brazilian tertiary hospital: A study protocol

Introduction: The prevalence of mental disorders in the general population has been increasing in recent years, with the incidence of these diseases being even higher in hospitalized populations. The rates of depression in these patients are four to five times higher than in the general population. In this regard, it is important to understand the incidence of psychiatric disorders in different sectors of tertiary hospitals to recognize, locate, and treat the main pathologies and provide better medical care to hospitalized patients. Objective: To assess the prevalence of psychiatric disorders and the demographic profile of patients hospitalized in a tertiary hospital in Brazil who underwent psychiatric consultation. Method: This is an observational, descriptive, analytical, and retrospective study that will be conducted through the collection of patient records via psychiatric consultation, gathering demographic data and hospitalization-related data such as the origin of admission, primary diagnosis, psychiatric diagnosis, proposed treatment, among others. Conclusion: The identified challenges include the underutilization of psychiatric consultations and variability in the protocols adopted. Improving services requires data uniformity and proper diagnosis to optimize hospital care quality and reduce costs.