[Psychic disorders in emergency room: a qualitative analysis of psychological intervention]

Our study aims to analyze typologies of psychological intervention that respond to spontaneous request of Emergency Room's users and care providers, and their distribution in relation to observed psychic disorders.

364 Subjects (134 males and 230 females), mean age 41.55 (± 22.38) reaching Emergency room were involved in this study. Data from an observation form were related to patients' triage code, their provisional diagnosis, the request of psychiatric advice and emergency outcome. Non-parametric variables were analyzed by Chi Square method, while parametric ones by ANOVA method.

Patients were the more frequent users of psychological intervention, while relatives used it in lesser proportion. Anxiety Disorder was the most frequent psychiatric diagnosis associated to psychological consulting. The patient's triage code was not significantly related to frequency of consulting. The type of intervention that was most often choosen has been supportive. As to outcome, the majority of patients who consulted psychologists was discharged, while a low percentage was admitted, particularly in psychiatric wards.

Psychological consulting appears related to a wider and more varied range of urgent situations than psychiatric consulting. Therefore, psychological intervention seems to be useful both to relieve hic et nunc psychological discomfort, and to help and direct sicker patients to formulate a long-term treatment plan.