title: Assessment of families in psychiatric emergencies.
abstract: Families of patients coming to a psychiatric emergency service pose severe professional and emotional challenges. Interviewing the patient and family together has advantages for patient, family, and interviewer. The traditional emergency assessment is greatly enhanced by attention to the family perspective and to the broader social context. Such information effectively facilitates problem-solving and negotiation of disposition. The importance of the interviewer's mature, flexible functioning is emphasized.
mesh_terms: D003419:Crisis Intervention; D003617:Dangerous Behavior; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005196:Family Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D006708:Homicide; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D019965:Neurocognitive Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D011368:Professional-Family Relations; D012917:Social Adjustment; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology