Psychiatric Emergencies: How to Accurately Assess and Manage the Patient in Crisis

Psychiatric Emergencies, now in its second edition, presents an easy-to-read, contemporary and evidence-based approach to managing psychiatric emergencies. Health care providers in a wide variety of settings will find this newly updated and expanded handbook a necessity in recognizing and assessing psychiatric problems promptly and accurately, intervening safely, and initiating appropriate treatment and resultant case disposition decisions. The scenarios presented are reflective of the author's extensive experiences and clinical expertise in managing psychiatric emergencies.

Author Deborah Antai-Otong analyzes principles of psychiatric emergencies and prominent pryshiatric disorders seen in diverse clinical settings, including alcohol and drug-related emergencies, delirium, suicidal and violent behaviors, domestic violence, rape, depression and anxiety disorders, acute psychosis and others. This book offers a holistic approach to managing psychiatric emergencies with an initial focus on staff safety, and details the role of critical incident stress debriefing as part of working with staff exposed to violent or traumatic situations. Each psychiatric problem presented describes:

-Relevant clinical findings including differential diagnosis, physical findings, mental status data, and diagnostic and laboratory studies
-Strategies to individualize treatment approaches to clients with psychiatric crises
-Psychosocial interventions that help health care providers to maintain personal safety, establish appropriate environments and de-escalate potentially volatile situations
-Evidence-based pharmacological interventions that are effective in the management of acute psychiatric symptoms
-Client and family education that promotes mental and physical health
-Legal and ethical considerations, including the right to treatment, confidentiality, informed consent, dealing with minors, competency, emergency petitions, the right to refuse treatment, duty to warn and protect, and documentation