The field of emergency mental health care is evolving rapidly. In addition to continued widespread use of the traditional consultation model, in which psychiatrists provide on-call assistance to emergency department physicians, specialized psychiatric emergency services (PESs) are available in many cities, and newer models of integrated community psychiatric emergency care are being developed and implemented. With the spread of AIDS, the aging of the population, and the popularity of recreational substances of abuse, the scope and complexity of the field have increased as well. Emergency Psychiatry provides a snapshot of the current state of the art of this fast-paced discipline.

Readers of this volume will find * Survey of the major service models used in emergency psychiatry: the consultation model, the specialized PES model, and newer community models (crisis hospitalization, mobile teams, crisis residences)* Principles of triage of patients presenting to an emergency department with psychiatric problems, including a discussion of instruments used to assess psychosocial and cognitive functioning* Guidelines for assessing risk of suicide or violence* Standards for behavioral management of agitation and aggression aimed at reestablishing inner and outer controls for the patient in the least coercive manner* Discussion of legal and regulatory issues affecting emergency room practice* Guidance on application of psychotherapeutic technique to interviewing patients in crises so as to communicate concern, elicit cooperation and essential information about the patient's state, and foster an alliance that facilitates appropriate treatment

Psychiatric emergencies can occur at any time and in any setting; for this reason, every mental health clinician should be familiar with the principles of crisis management and the cutting-edge issues surrounding the provision of emergency psychiatric care. Intended for psychiatrists, psychiatric and emergency medicine residents, and all mental health practitioners, this book offers an accessible guide to current practice and thought in this exciting field.