Strengthening the Ability of General Hospital Neurology Departments to Treat Neuropsychiatric Diseases and Mental Disorders

Abstract

Due to the “stigma” of neuropsychological and psychogenic disorders in China, patients with psychological and affective disorders mostly prefer to go to general hospitals or integrative medicine hospitals, while the majority of patients with mental disorders in the department of internal medicine are treated in the department of neurology. At present, there are few physicians with the ability to diagnose and treat neuropsychiatric diseases properly in the neurological department of general hospitals in China, and the diagnosis and treatment experience of mental diseases is insufficient. At the same time, the diagnosis and treatment of comorbid patients with internal diseases and mental disorders are more complicated. The psychology departments in general hospitals or mental health centers also have a limited ability to diagnose and treat comorbid diseases relating to internal medicine and mental disorders together. Therefore, this article reviews the current status of diagnosis and treatment of neuropsychiatric and mental disorders in general hospitals or integrative medicine hospitals.