What is a Psychiatric Emergency?

October 26, 2020 | FSEAP Solutions

Chances are that you could spot a physical health emergency like a heart attack, but could you do the same with a psychiatric emergency? Psychiatric emergencies may have no physical symptoms, but they can be just as life-threatening. Psychiatric emergencies fall into three categories: risk of harm to self, like suicidal planning and intention; risk of harm to others, like planning to hurt someone; and behavioral changes, such as not making any sense, losing touch with reality, hearing or seeing things that are not there, or becoming paranoid. Call 911 when risk of injury or death exists, and don’t dismiss psychiatric emergencies; swift action could save a life. See a list of symptoms at www.aacap.org [search “emergency 126”].

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