Patients' perceived service needs when seen in a psychiatric emergency room

Patients who came to a psychiatric emergency room and were assessed as not needing psychiatric hospitalization were interviewed regarding their service needs for the month prior to their index visit. The highest expressed needs were for information and advice, financial assistance, counseling and assistance in controlling emotions, while leisure-time activities, meeting people, budgeting, medications, and getting along with others were the lowest areas of expressed need. Those who sought help generally went to appropriate community resources rather than informal supports. For some, coming to the psychiatric emergency room was their way of addressing their needs. For a number, their methods of coping were to escape from their problems through the use of drugs and alcohol or sleep. Implications for programming in the psychiatric emergency room are discussed.