Many patients admitted through an emergency room service manifest significant psychological disturbance. This study of over 200 patients suggests that emergency room physicians and nurses are unable to judge accurately either the degree or nature of a patient's psychological state. While emergency room staff appear sensitive to the need for such awareness and use reliable dimensions for rating patients' subjective states, these ratings do not conform with patients' reports. The results reflect the need for more intensive psychological training of busy emergency room staff.
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