prevalence

Background Mental health problems are amongst the most frequent health problems throughout life and they interfere deeply with physical wellbeing. This study investigated the prevalence and impact of psychiatric comorbidities in a general hospital in the National Health Service.

Methods A single-centre cross-sectional study of all inpatients during a 1-week period.

Pain is a common feature of a range of illnesses. Although it is perceived as a significant problem for surgical patients and those with terminal malignancy, there is a paucity of evidence regarding the prevalence of pain in general medical patients. This study set out to determine pain prevalence and the contribution of chronic pain in a teaching hospital medical unit. All wards on the medical unit were visited on three consecutive days and all eligible patients were asked to complete a questionnaire indicating occurrence and severity of pain.