Citation

Edelsohn GA, Gomez JP. Adolesc. Med. Clin. 2006; 17(1): 183-204.

Affiliation

Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Thomas Jefferson University, 833 Chestnut Street, Suite 210-D, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2006, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.admecli.2005.09.002

PMID

16473300

Abstract

Psychiatric emergencies in adolescents encompass a range of urgency from a serious suicide attempt to an overwhelmed parent being unable to access mental health services for a son or daughter. This article describes a classification system of psychiatric emergencies based on their urgency, including key elements related to epidemiology, approaches to evaluation, emergency management, and disposition. An instrument that can be used to quickly and efficiently triage an adolescent with a psychiatric emergency is provided.