Year: 1994 Source: Australian Family Physician, v.23, no.2, (February 1994), p.181, 184-188 SIEC No: 19940176

A psychiatric emergency may be identified by the patient, family, friends, statutory authorities or the treating physician. Good management involves careful assessment. This article does not detail specific treatment of any disorders. It outlines some basic principles on which a good outcome may depend. For example, it is reported that 70-90% of suicide victims have a significant psychiatric illness. The diagnosis & management of such illness is often the best way to deal with suicide risk.