Mental Health Crisis/Psychiatric Crisis

A mental health crisis is serious situation in which a person is experiencing intense emotional and psychiatric responses to an event. During the crisis, the person may be:

• Agitated and upset
• At risk of harm to themselves or others
• Compromised emotionally
• Disoriented
• Experiencing suicidal ideation

If left alone or untreated, a mental health crisis may become a mental health emergency.

During a mental health crisis, a person:

• Often thinks about or discusses suicide
• May engage in acts of self-harm
• May self-medicate with drugs or alcohol
• May engage in erratic or risky behaviors
• May become emotionally unstable, distraught, or depressed

The event leading to a mental health crisis will be distinct for each person, and feels very overwhelming for that person.