Xiuping Wu, Bing Li, Xianjiu Chen, Fei Pan, Yunxia Feng
People with psychiatric problems may require emergency services. Shanxi Medical University hospital is one of the few institutions in Eastern China providing comprehensive psychiatric emergency services. This study aims to document the pattern of psychiatric emergencies in a multidisciplinary hospital of Eastern China. All psychiatric emergencies referred from different departments on 30 random days during a six-month period were enrolled. This was a descriptive study with a convenience sampling method where diagnoses were made based on the 'International Classification of Diseases' (ICD-10). A total of 129 cases were referred during the study period. Service users were predominantly young adults, with the majority of cases referred from the emergency and medical wards. The most common causes for consultation were behavioral problems (40.3%), altered consciousness (32.5%), suicidal tendencies (22.4%), and somatic complaints (17%). Approximately 83% received a diagnosis within Category F of the ICD-10. Mental and behavioral disorders due to substance use (F10-19) were the most common (30%), followed by mood disorders (23%) and neurotic anxiety disorders (16%). Forty-five percent had comorbid physical illnesses, and 8% received only a physical diagnosis. Twenty-two percent had attempted suicide using different means, with poisoning being the most common method. The commonest mode of management was medication, primarily benzodiazepines and antipsychotics.