Thyroid Function Screening in Acute Geropsychiatric Admissions

The clinical utility and cost effectiveness of routine thyroid screening in adult psychiatric patients presenting at Stikland Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa

“…Furthermore, the TSH in acute psychiatric patients is generally either normal or high, suggesting central activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis. 16,17 In most instances, the thyroid test results spontaneously normalise within 2 weeks, and treatment directed toward the thyroid gland is not indicated. 19 Although TSH screening of psychiatric patients seems questionable, the use of thyroid tests may be helpful to assess certain categories of patients.…”

“…Research has also shown that up to 50% of psychiatric patients may have spuriously abnormal thyroid test results. 16,17 Leo et al 18 suggested that in adolescents in the acute phase of mental illness, abnormal thyroid test results might be transitory and require confirmation. Therefore, routine thyroid testing among adolescent psychiatric inpatients are unwarranted except in those who display physical signs or symptoms suggestive of thyroid disease.…”

The Effectiveness of Thyroid Function Tests Screening in Psychiatric Inpatients

“…While a retrospective study of acute geropsychiatric inpatients did show an increase in the prevalence of abnormalities in thyroid function tests (TFT) between the geropsychiatric patients and the comparison group, the difference was not statistically significant. Moreover, the investigators suggested that the TFT abnormalities in the study group may be related to an increased prevalence of unidentified systemic illness or to the presence of chronically poor nutrition (14). Roberts et al have also reported that subclinical thyroid dysfunction was not associated with depression, anxiety, or cognition in elderly patients after the confounding effects of comorbid conditions and use of medications were controlled (15).…”

Interactions between brain, psyche and thyroid

“…Nachfolgend sollu ntersucht werden, wie häufig Schilddrüsenfunktionsstörungenbei in derPsychiatrie hospitalisierten Patienten vorkommenund wie häufig eine Schilddrüsenfunktionsstörung kausal für die psychiatrische Erkrankungist. Angabenzur Häufigkeitv on Schilddrüsenfunktionsstörungenb ei Patienteni nd er Psychiatrie schwanken: We rtevon 3% wurdeni ne inerk anadischen Studie und kana-dischenÜ bersichtsarbeit (5) und von2 0% in einerStudie ausNew Yo rk berichtet (61,83). Grenzwertig erhöhte TSH-We rtew ur-dennicht alskausal für eine Depression angesehen.I ne inera merikanischen Studie fandensichbei 32 von725 Patienten(4,4%) TSH-We rte>5mIU/l, vondenen 27/32 Pa-tientenT SH-We rtez wischen 5,1 und9 ,4 mIU/l hatten.…”