Emergency Psychiatry: Assessment of Geriatric Patients in the Psychiatric Emergency Service

The burden of behavioral emergencies: need for specialist emergency services

“…Statistics shows that despite the rapid rise in the mental health problems in the aging population, there is an under representation of utilization of psychiatric emergency services by the geriatric population [11,12]. Some special considerations that exist commonly among this section of the population are: gender imbalance (more female than male), high rates of medical and neurological problems, behavioral problems being more due to major or minor medical problems, and risk of adverse drug reactions [11,13].…”

“…Some special considerations that exist commonly among this section of the population are: gender imbalance (more female than male), high rates of medical and neurological problems, behavioral problems being more due to major or minor medical problems, and risk of adverse drug reactions [11,13]. Studies find that elderly populations are at higher risk of developing cognitive impairment, and mental health problems such as depression and substance abuse, mainly in reaction to their loneliness, social isolation, and chronic disabling conditions [11].…”

“…Some special considerations that exist commonly among this section of the population are: gender imbalance (more female than male), high rates of medical and neurological problems, behavioral problems being more due to major or minor medical problems, and risk of adverse drug reactions [11,13]. Studies find that elderly populations are at higher risk of developing cognitive impairment, and mental health problems such as depression and substance abuse, mainly in reaction to their loneliness, social isolation, and chronic disabling conditions [11]. One of the most common psychiatric emergencies in this population is a pharmacological emergency related to psychiatric medications such as agranulocytosis secondary to antipsychotics, hypotension, or cardiac conduction disturbances that are caused by the use of antipsychotics or antidepressants, neuroleptic malignant syndrome, lithium toxicity, anticholinergic delirium, and acute dystonia [11,14].…”

“…Studies find that elderly populations are at higher risk of developing cognitive impairment, and mental health problems such as depression and substance abuse, mainly in reaction to their loneliness, social isolation, and chronic disabling conditions [11]. One of the most common psychiatric emergencies in this population is a pharmacological emergency related to psychiatric medications such as agranulocytosis secondary to antipsychotics, hypotension, or cardiac conduction disturbances that are caused by the use of antipsychotics or antidepressants, neuroleptic malignant syndrome, lithium toxicity, anticholinergic delirium, and acute dystonia [11,14]. In addition to these, suicide is also very commonly seen in the geriatric population, with rates of suicide for white men between the ages of 80 and 84 years being six times that of the general adult population [11].…”

“…One of the most common psychiatric emergencies in this population is a pharmacological emergency related to psychiatric medications such as agranulocytosis secondary to antipsychotics, hypotension, or cardiac conduction disturbances that are caused by the use of antipsychotics or antidepressants, neuroleptic malignant syndrome, lithium toxicity, anticholinergic delirium, and acute dystonia [11,14]. In addition to these, suicide is also very commonly seen in the geriatric population, with rates of suicide for white men between the ages of 80 and 84 years being six times that of the general adult population [11]. Other common presenting emergencies are strange or disturbing behaviors, affective disorders, and organic brain disease [15,16].…”