A psichiatric emergency is a situation where disorders of thought, mood or behavior are so disruptive that require immediate assistance.

To analyze clinical and sociodemographic characteristics, predictors of hospitalization, and poli-attendance in patients attended in a reference area psychiatric emergency service.

All assistances from 01.12.2011 to 31.01.12 were recorded in a database. Patient poly-attendance was defined by two or more assistances during the study period. Logistic regression analysis was performed to find out hospitalization and poli-attendance predictors.

N = 219. 50.68% male, 49.32% female; 86.75% between 20-64 years. 45.62% finished primary studies. 80.82% owned social support network. 80.73% unemployed. 71.89% voluntary assistances. 58.97% already tracked by mental health, 24.66% first contact. Reason care: anxiety (24.20%), behavioral disorders (22.57%), suicide (20.55%) and psychosis (12.79%). Final diagnoses: psychosis (24.20%), anxiety (15.48%), depression (10.05%), drugs abuse (9.13%), personality disorders (17.35%), mental retardation (8.22%), social issues (16.89%).26.94% were poly-attendance, assisted by: organic mental disorder (OR= 21,10, IC95%), personality disorders (OR=4,313, IC95%), mental retardation (OR=5,545, IC95%), social issues (OR=2,94, IC95%). 24.20% of the patients hospitalized. Factors associated to risk: age range 15-20 (OR 12.10, IC95%); psychosis (OR = 51.03, IC 95%), depression (OR = 14.61, IC95%), bipolar disorder (OR=20,38, IC 95%).

Minor diseases, social issues or stables axis II disorders accomplished most attendances. Hospitalitation was associated with severe mental illness and lower age.Poly-attendance is not associated with axis I patology, but it is with axis II and IV disorders.