Children and adolescents in the psychiatric emergency setting

Emergencies in child and adolescent psychiatry are not uncommon, occur in a variety of settings, and require referral to resources offering different levels of care. Clinicians must be familiar with basic tenets of emergency assessment and treatment whether practicing alone in a rural area or as part of an interdisciplinary team in a busy urban hospital. Recommendations for future research include gathering more extensive epidemiologic data and data regarding practice patterns nationwide and conducting more psychopharmacologic research into the management of patients with acute agitation, aggression, and violence. In addition, outcome data to support provision of necessary inpatient and outpatient services must be collected. The development of successful strategies to prevent psychiatric emergencies in children and adolescents is equally important.