Psychiatric intensive care units: a literature review

Psychiatric Intensive Care Units (PICU) have been part of most inpatient psychiatric services for some time, although information about their functioning and outcome has not previously been collated.

To conduct a systematic literature review to assess the current state of knowledge about such services.

A search of electronic databases was undertaken, followed by obtaining additional references from items obtained.

Over 50 papers in English containing some empirical data were identified. Most studies were retrospective. Typical PICU patients are male, younger, single, unemployed, suffering from schizophrenia or mania, from a Black Caribbean or African background, legally detained, with a forensic history. The most common reason for admission is for aggression management, and most patients stay a week or less. Evidence of the efficacy of PICU care is very poor.

Most research so far has been small scale, and more substantial work using better methodologies is clearly required.