Consultation-liaison psychiatry in western Europe. The European Consultation-Liaison Workgroup

Consultation-liaison psychiatry (C-L) services have developed throughout Europe, largely as a result of individual local initiative. Reviews by contributors from 14 countries reveal similarities in national approaches and in the problems caused by inadequate resources, lack of recognition from psychiatric colleagues, and difficulties in integrating C-L with comprehensive systems of psychiatric care, which are mainly oriented toward community care. National C-L organizations and a recently established European Workgroup have focused attention on the clinical importance of C-L and the need to define national and local policies for its clinical role, staffing, and other resources. There is considerable and increasing interest in European C-L research.