Understanding and Addressing Psychiatric Comorbidities and Upper-Extremity Trauma: Surgeons in a Multidisciplinary Care Model

Abstract

Psychiatric disorders are a common cause of disability and represent an important risk factor for upper-extremity trauma. The review provides an overview of psychiatric illnesses as both contributors and sequelae of 4 major injury patterns: self-inflicted wrist lacerations, self-amputation, upper-extremity fractures, and burns. The authors develop a multidisciplinary model for upper-extremity surgeons to care for patients with psychiatric disorders, with an overview of capacity assessment, optimal psychiatric comanagement, and collaboration with allied health professionals.

Keywords: Depression; hand; orthopedics; psychiatry; trauma.