Psychotherapy in psychiatric emergencies: From organization to models of intervention

The Psychiatric Emergency Unit was established at the Psychiatric Clinic of Milan University with the aim of diagnosing and rapidly providing specific treatment for all patients undergoing an acute psychological crisis. The Emergency Psychiatric Unit is therefore organized as an intermediate placement facility lying between the First Aid Unit and the various outpatients' Departments in the area. At the end of the first assessment phase, comprising clinical and psychological tests, intervention proceeds as for Crisis Intervention or along the lines of analytically-oriented Brief Psychotherapy. In this work, in particular, we would like to illustrate our experience in organizing and applying a model of Brief Psychotherapy using the available public facilities, and emphasizing the important role played by team discussion and comparison in rendering such intervention more flexible and effective.