[Psychiatric emergencies in childhood and adolescence]

The referrals for urgent psychiatric treatment were studied systematically to improve our understanding of the acute forms of psychological distress in children and adolescents and the crisis situations which disrupt the usual relationships between the child and his family. During the last 12 months, 212 requests for urgent psychiatric opinion in children under 18 years of age were received. The following points were analyzed: --general: age, sex, geographical distribution of the patients and their families, present family conditions, socio-economic class, origin of the urgent referral; --psychological or psychopathological: presenting symptoms, organisation of the personality of the child or adolescent, previous psychological or psychiatric history; --practical: the emergency management, ulterior orientation. The authors conclude with some remarks on the possible lines of action in the emergency situations.