Premium
A study of ‘crisis cards' in a community psychiatric service
Author(s) -
Sutherby K.,
Szrnukler G. L.,
Halpern A.,
Alexander M.,
Thornicroft G.,
Johnson C.,
Wright S.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
acta psychiatrica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.849
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1600-0447
pISSN - 0001-690X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0447.1999.tb10914.x
Subject(s) - psychiatry , anticipation (artificial intelligence) , psychosis , crisis intervention , service (business) , medicine , psychology , economy , artificial intelligence , computer science , economics
Sutherby K, Szmukler GI, Halpern A, Alexander M, Thornicroft G, Johnson C, Wright S. A study of ‘crisis cards’ in a community psychiatric service. Acta Psychiatr Scand 1999: 100 : 56–61. © Munksgaard 1999. Objective: ‘Crisis cards’ state patients' treatment details and preferences in anticipation of a later occasion when the patient might be too ill to express them directly. We assessed the feasibility of introducing ‘crisis cards’, or a collaborative form of them, ‘joint crisis plans’, into a sectorized community psychiatric service. Method All patients with a psychosis and at high risk of crisis were invited to participate. Follow‐up examined patients' satisfaction and how the cards were used. Results: In total, 106 eligible patients were identified and offered a card, and 40% agreed to participate. Patients with an affective psychosis, past suicide attempts and less frequent admissions were over‐represented among those who agreed to take part. Patients chose to include a wide range of information. For participants, admissions fell by 30% in the follow‐up year. Conclusion: Crisis cards serve both a ‘manifest’, practical function (to provide important information when the patient is too ill to do so) and a ‘latent’ psychological one (positive effects on the patient's attitude to self, their illness and treatment, and their relationship with the clinical team).