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Patients with repeated admissions to a psychiatric emergency service

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Abstract

Psychiatric emergency treatment units traditionally care for patients with acute psychosocial crises and are not ordinarily concerned with providing long term follow-up treatment. Nevertheless, a significant percentage of patients continues to utilize emergency treatment services repeatedly rather than become involved in other more definitive and durable treatment programs. These patients, as well as the nature of their intermittent and recurrent emergency treatment contacts, are described. It is postulated that psychiatric treatment on an emergency basis may be an effective mode of treatment for those patients who are prone to recurrent crises and are unable to establish more stable treatment relations.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, USA

    David L. Raphling M.D. (research fellow) & John Lion M.D. (research fellow)

Authors
  1. David L. Raphling M.D.
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  2. John Lion M.D.
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Raphling, D.L., Lion, J. Patients with repeated admissions to a psychiatric emergency service. Community Ment Health J 6, 313–318 (1970). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01434954

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