[Psychiatric emergencies and family crisis. A possible systemic approach at a general hospital]

Psychiatric emergencies concern not only sectorized psychiatric organizations but general hospitals as well, especially in large cities. No set-ups for long-term management are available in general hospitals and means for short-term intermittent action should be evolved. Family crisis may be responsible for psychiatric emergencies as they may lead to decompensation due to the breaking-up of familial relationships. When confronted with such situations, practitioners must of course face the emergency by using various specific chemotherapeutic agents or by hospitalizing the patient. However, practitioners should also concern themselves with acting upon the whole family in order to help them to develop solutions to the crisis. The modalities of this global approach of psychiatric disorders are delineated in the family crisis therapeutic technique.