Depressive Symptoms (DS) generate a public and economic health problem, with decreasing productivity, labour market withdrawal and increased demand for health services. Studies show that in hospitalized patients, DS rates are higher than in the general population, in medical practice, however, they are under diagnosed or under-treated. Consultation Liaison Psychiatry (LP) can prevent aggravation of the psychic symptoms by early identification of them and by integration of psychiatry with the other medical specialties.

To estimate the prevalence of DS and associated factors in inpatients and the frequency of consultation LP.

A cross-sectional study was carried out in March 2016, with 87 patients hospitalized in the clinical and surgical wards at the University Hospital (Sergipe/BR), through two instruments: (1) Structured Questionnaire prepared by the authors, (2) Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Data analysis through descriptive and analytical statistics with final step of logistic regression.

The prevalence of DS were 54%, of which 24% correspond to moderate and severe symptoms, and only 3.4% of the patients had a LP. In Logistic Regression, the only factor associated with DS was the reason for hospitalization. Clinical causes (87.2%) were 9.24 times more likely to develop DS than surgical causes.

Results suggest a high prevalence of inpatients with some psychic symptom. Physicians did not detect these symptoms and, therefore, LP request was low. These data reinforce the importance of LP for early identification of DS that should be stimulated during medical training.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.