Psychiatric emergencies

In France, a circular published on 30th July 1992 defined emergency in psychiatry as "a situation which requires an immediate response. There is an emergency as soon as someone asks himself or herself if this is the case, whether that be the patient, their entourage or the doctor; it requires a rapid and adequate response from the team charged with the patient's care in order to alleviate the acute nature of psychological suffering". The places where emergencies are dealt with have become indispensable crossroads in the treatment of certain mental pathological states and/or certain relational situations. In this interview with Bluenn Quillerou, an emergency psychiatrist in Paris, she evokes what psychiatric emergencies are from a clinical and organisational point of view, her argument formed by her professional experience. Versatility in knowledge and practices, good healthcare knowledge, speed and validity in evaluation and decision-making: all are indispensable skills for this exercise. (C) 2018 Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.