Psychiatric emergency services in a Canadian city: II. Clinical characteristics and patients' disposition.
The clinical characteristics of patients seen at the psychiatric emergency facilities in a Canadian city and the determinants of decisions regarding their treatment were investigated. A total of 544 patients who sought psychiatric emergency services from the three hospitals in Saskatoon during a three month period were studied. Cognitive disturbance, past psychiatric history, previous psychiatric hospitalization and diagnoses of substance use disorders, affective disorders, anxiety disorders and schizophrenic disorders were associated with psychiatric emergencies. Psychiatric diagnoses and availability of social support were significantly associated with disposition. The implications of these findings for psychiatric emergency services are discussed.
Clinical Evaluation Unit, London Psychiatric Hospital, University of Western Ontario.
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D000328:Adult; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003376:Counseling; D004637:Emergency Services, Psychiatric / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006778:Hospitals, Psychiatric; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D008605:Mental Health Services; D010343:Patient Admission; D015995:Prevalence; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012940:Social Problems; D012944:Social Support
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents