Polydipsia in the chronically mentally ill: a review.

Polydipsia, or excessive intake of water, is reviewed in the chronically mentally ill from a nursing perspective. The purpose of this article is to review research related to excessive water ingestion, the magnitude and types of problems that these patients experience, and the treatment interventions reported. Future research and practice should focus on understanding the patient's experience of polydipsia and how it relates to the patient's level of functioning, testing assessment tools, and determining appropriate interventions.