Focusing on acute clinical situations in which there is an imminent risk of serious harm or death to self or others, this practical resource helps clinicians evaluate and manage a wide range of mental health emergencies. Authors examine how to distinguish crises that are emergencies from those that are not, and provide basic instruction in crisis theory and emergency interviewing. The volume then provides guidelines for intervening with suicidal patients, potentially violent patients, and vulnerable victims of violence, as well as patients facing life-and-death medical decisions, with careful attention to risk management and forensic issues. Also addressed are emergency-related conditions including self-mutilation, alcohol and drug-related crises, adverse reactions to psychotropic medication, and psychological symptoms of medical conditions. Finally, chapters consider the effects of emergency intervention on clinicians and offer suggestions for managing stress.

Written and edited by leading emergency psychiatrists, this is the first comprehensive text devoted to emergency psychiatry. The book blends the authors' clinical experience with evidence-based information, expert opinions, and American Psychiatric Association guidelines for emergency psychiatry. Case studies are used throughout to reinforce key clinical points. This text brings together relevant principles from many psychiatric subspecialties—community, consultation/liaison, psychotherapy, substance abuse, psychopharmacology, disaster, child, geriatric, administrative, forensic—as well as from emergency medicine, psychology, law, medical ethics, and public health policy. The emerging field of disaster psychiatry is also addressed. A companion Website offers instant access to the fully searchable text. (www.glickemergencypsychiatry.com)

Mental Health in Emergency Care takes a practical, scenario-based approach to help students and recent graduates hone their knowledge and skills to address the mental health needs of people presenting to emergency care settings. Featuring typical presentations across community, pre-hospital and hospital contexts, the scenarios demonstrate how clinicians can identify underlying mental health issues that can often go undetected and contribute to poor health outcomes. Mental Health in Emergency Care provides a framework for thinking about mental health in emergency settings, and how to develop mental health knowledge and skills that can be applied in order to provide more holistic care to all patients. Emphasis on mental health core principles for practice - recovery, person-centered, trauma informed care, collaborative practice, cultural safety Focus on essential mental health nursing skills and the importance of mental health triage and assessment as part of a comprehensive approach 18 scenarios written for clinicians, by clinicians, based on typical presentations across community, pre-hospital and hospital contexts Red flags for possible mental health issues provide practical support Includes lived experience perspectives for in-depth understanding Provides relevant information on what to say and what to do in an emergency setting A focus on self-care within emergency care settings An eBook included with print purchase

Acute Psychiatric Emergencies is designed for all medical and healthcare professionals working with patients in mental health crisis. This manual is a key component of the Acute Psychiatric Emergencies (APEx) course, which uses a structured approach developed by leading psychiatry and emergency medicine specialists with years of practical experience. This valuable resource provides a practical approach for dealing with mental health emergencies, helping healthcare professionals from different specialties speak a common language and develop a shared understanding that expedites excellent care. The manual outlines the assessment and management of patients who have self-harmed, those that are apparently drunk, the patient behaving strangely, the patient with acute confusion, and those that are aggressive. Presents a structured, practical approach for the emergency care of patients presenting in acute psychiatric crisis Covers common presentations of psychiatric emergencies Emphasises close co-operation of emergency and mental health teams Offers content designed jointly by practicing psychiatrists and emergency physicians from the Advanced Life Support Group (ALSG) Acute Psychiatric Emergencies will be useful for practitioners of emergency medicine, psychiatry, emergency and mental health nursing as well as other mental health and crisis care professionals.

This fully updated second edition focuses on mental illness, both globally and in terms of specific mental-health-related visits encountered in emergency department settings, and provides practical input from physicians experienced with adult emergency psychiatric patients. It covers the pre-hospital setting and advising on evidence-based practice; from collaborating with psychiatric colleagues to establishing a psychiatric service in your emergency department. Potential dilemmas when treating pregnant, geriatric or homeless patients with mental illness are discussed in detail, along with the more challenging behavioral diagnoses such as substance abuse, factitious and personality disorders, delirium, dementia, and PTSD. The new edition of Behavioral Emergencies for Healthcare Providers will be an invaluable resource for psychiatrists, psychologists, psychiatric and emergency department nurses, trainee and experienced emergency physicians, and other mental health workers.

This eagerly awaited volume occupies an important place in the series Critical Issues in Psychiatry. Most mental health professionals are quite at home with ordinary day-to-day crises of clinical practice but relatively unprepared for the true psychiatric emergency. Such emergencies are too infrequent for most of us to experience a real sense of competence. On the other hand, emergency room psychiatrists as well as residents and other trainees have long wished for a truly comprehensive textbook that would cover the spectrum of emergency psychiatry. This book is just such a definitive and comprehensive volume for the specialist, while at the same time a clear, succinct, and comprehensive reference for the clinician. of emergency care, The authors consistently present a systematic model emphasizing the interconnection between the process of emergency interven tion and the specific features of clinical crisis. They are true to the principle that one's system of care should be built on priorities. It is immediately apparent that these are highly experienced clinicians as well as teachers. It is difficult to imagine a clinical situation that is not addressed by this book. It includes chapters on triage, assessment, and treatment planning; emer gencies associated with all the various psychopathologies; age groups from childhood to old age; the emergency management of violent and suicidal pa tients as well as rape and disaster victims; emergencies secondary to substance abuse and prescribed medications; psychotherapeutic and psychopharmacol ogic intervention; as well as the relevant legal, social, and community issues in emergency care.

Disaster Mental Health Interventions uses DSM-5 diagnostic criteria and the latest research to help build disaster mental health intervention skills that will last a lifetime. Students and emerging professionals across the fields of mental health counseling, social work, school counseling, spiritual care, and emergency management will appreciate the accessible tone, level of detail, and emphasis on practice. Case studies and anecdotes from experienced professionals add an additional level of depth and interest for readers.

First published in 1999. This text examines the impasse in the development of alternatives to hospitals, drawing on the experience of both crisis service users and providers, and evidence of the effectiveness of such services. The book concludes that crisis services are preferred by users, are usually more cost effective and often more clinically effective than acute admissions wards. It offers a number of policy suggestions to advance the role of crisis services, including monitoring, evaluation and development centres, or programmes being established on a national basis, and joint training between crisis service and hospitals.

In spite of their tragic nature, and notwithstanding the human suffering they create, emergency situations are also opportunities to build better mental health care. The surge of aid, combined with sudden, focused attention on the mental health of the population, creates unparalleled opportunities to transform mental health care for the long term. By publishing this information, the World Health Organization ensures that those faced with emergencies do not miss the opportunity for mental health reform. Emergencies are not only mental health tragedies, but also powerful catalysts for achieving sustainable mental health care in affected communities. We do not know where the next major emergency will be, but we do know that those affected will have the opportunity to build back better. Reading this publication is an excellent way to prepare for and respond to that eventuality. The ten cases that form the core of this report show how it can be done. Early commitment towards a longer-term perspective for mental health reform is key to success. The report summarizes lessons learned and key overlapping practices emerging from these experiences.