綜合醫院精神病學探索精神病學、醫學和初級保健之間的聯系和接口。該雜志強調對疾病和健康的生物心理社會方法，并為臨床、學術和研究領域的專業人士提供了一個交流的論壇，他們對精神病學在“主流醫學”中的基本功能感興趣。在綜合醫院中迅速發展起來的那些聯絡咨詢和精神病學服務的基礎上，該雜志擴展了這一基礎，鼓勵在住院病人、門診和社區環境中對疾病的理解和治療作出新的貢獻。對生活壓力、身體體驗、心理社會因素、人際和心理內反應、家庭結構、生態變化和制度力量的多系統關系的研究與該雜志的目標特別相關。綜合醫院精神病學發表關于生物、心理、社會醫學方法的原創文章;liaison-consultation精神病學;精神病服務與一般醫療系統的關系;醫學教育的新方向強調精神病學在初級保健、家庭實踐和繼續教育中的作用。它還具有簡短的溝通，新聞和筆記，書評，醫學精神病學查房，感興趣的醫生和其他專業人士和學生在這個領域。

General Hospital Psychiatry explores the linkages and interfaces among psychiatry, medicine and primary care. The Journal emphasizes a biopsychosocial approach to illness and health, and provides a forum for communication among professionals with clinical, academic, and research interests in psychiatry's essential function in "the mainstream of medicine." Building upon those liaison consultation and psychiatric services which have burgeoned in the general hospital setting, the Journal expands beyond this base to encourage new contributions to the understanding and treatment of illness - in inpatient, ambulatory, and community settings. Studies of multisystem relationships of life stresses, physical experience, psychosocial factors, interpersonal and intrapsychic reactions, family structure, ecological change, and institutional forces are especially relevant to the Journal's objectives. General Hospital Psychiatry publishes original articles on biopsychosocial approaches to medicine; liaison-consultation psychiatry; the relationship of psychiatric services to general medical systems; and new directions in medical education which stress psychiatry's role in primary care, family practice, and continuing education. It also features Brief Communications, News and Notes, Book Reviews, and Medical Psychiatric Rounds, of interest to physicians and other professionals and students in this field.