study of utilization pattern of psychiatric emergency services [PES] in Al-Qassim region, Saudi Arabia

ABSTRACT

The psychiatric emergency services [PES] are essentially one of the most important components of all mental health delivery systems. The goal of this research is to focus on the utilization pattern and clinical profiles of clients requiring these services. A 9-year relevant sociodemographic and clinical data from January 1985 to December 1993 of patients [n=3570] recorded in well maintained registers in Buraidah Mental Health Hospital, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, were extensively reviewed in a retrospective fashion. The analysis of the data revealed the underutilization of PES by females [n=1149, 30.6%] in all age groups. The functional psychoses [n=1400, 37.3%] followed by drug-related diagnoses [n=403, 11.29%] were the most frequent problems among patients, admitted mainly involuntarily via these PES. Contrastingly patients voluntarily seeking PES were having diverse neurotic disorders [n=1172, 32.83%], in fact the majority of them were not in real need of PES. It was concluded that the PES were appropriately used by patients [50%] with different forms of psychoses but at the same time relatively misutilized by clients [40%] with neurotic disorders. The latter perspective, therefore, underscores the tremendous significance of mental health educational programs directed towards the appropriate uses of PES. The other important implications of this research are [1] there is a further need to study prospectively the psychiatric emergencies and [2] there is a need to expand the psychiatric emergency services in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia which at least should include mobile crisis intervention units, telephone consultations and crisis hospitalization in psychiatric emergency services