Emergency in Psychiatry – The Various Facets of Behavioral Emergencies, Crises and Suicidality

This chapter illustrates the mental health clinician’s relationship with behavioral emergencies. The chapter begins by distinguishing the terms behavioral emergency and behavioral crisis, and underlying themes among all behavioral emergencies are identified. Given that most clinicians will face a behavioral emergency in their careers, the importance of enhancing the process of educating and training practitioners for such situations far beyond the minimal training that currently exists is highlighted. The chapter continues by exploring various aspects of evaluating and managing high-risk patients (i.e., those who exhibit violent tendencies toward themselves or others, and those at risk for victimization). It includes a discussion of the benefits and limitations to estimating life-threatening risk factors and specific protective factors. The chapter concludes by discussing the emotional impact that working with high-risk patients has on clinicians, and an emphasis is placed on the importance of creating a supportive work environment.

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Introduction

10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199352722.013.43 ◽

2016 ◽

Author(s):

Phillip Kleespies

Keyword(s):

At Risk ◽

Children And Adolescents ◽

Crisis Intervention ◽

Suicide Risk ◽

The Elderly ◽

Integrative Approach ◽

Emergency Intervention ◽

Interpersonal Victimization ◽

Behavioral Emergencies ◽

Psychological Risks

This book is about behavioral emergencies and the association between interpersonal victimization and subsequent suicidality and/or risk for violence toward others. Section I focuses on the differences between behavioral crises and behavioral emergencies and presents an integrative approach to crisis intervention and emergency intervention. Section II discusses the evaluation of suicide risk, risk of violence, and risk of interpersonal victimization in children and adolescents. Sections III and IV explore behavioral emergencies with adults and the elderly, while Section V deals with certain conditions or behaviors that may either need to be differentiated from a behavioral emergency, or understood as relevant to possibly heightening risk. Section VI describes treatments for patients with recurrent or ongoing risks, and Section VII is devoted to legal, ethical, and psychological risks faced by clinicians who work with patients who might be at risk to themselves or others.

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