Citation

Faris N, Baroud E, Al Hariri M, Bachir R, El-Khoury J, Batley NJ. Asian J. Psychiatry 2019; 42: 42-47.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.ajp.2019.03.024

PMID

30951932

Abstract

Mental health problems are common in Lebanon, and so are psychiatric emergencies. In order to show the characteristics of psychiatric emergencies in Lebanon along with their dispositional determinants, we conducted this retrospective, single-center, chart-review study of patients who presented to the Emergency Department between July 1, 2016 until December 31, 2016 and required an official psychiatrist consultation. Our sample included 195 patients of all age groups. The most common diagnosis was depression (75 patients) followed by anxiety (61 patients). 107 patients (54.8%) required admission for adequate treatment; however only 72 (67.3%) of those were actually admitted, and the rest (32.7%) left the hospital against medical advice. Increased hospital admission was associated with being a female (OR = 3.042), having family history of psychiatric disease (OR = 2.040) and having suicidal ideations (OR = 12.949). In a country that has inadequate health coverage, financial coverage can also be a determining factor in whether or not patients get the admission they need.

Language: en

Keywords

Humans; Adult; Female; Male; Middle Aged; Adolescent; Retrospective Studies; Young Adult; Patient Admission; Suicidal Ideation; Mental health; Emergency Service, Hospital; Disease Susceptibility; Emergency department; Anxiety Disorders; Lebanon; Hospitals, University; Depressive Disorder; Mental Disorders; Psychiatric emergencies; Insurance, Health; Insurance Coverage; Disposition