TY - JOUR T1 - Psychiatric Emergencies and Their Characteristics Presenting to Prehospital Emergency Medical Services Between 2018 and 2023: The Case of Türkiye TT - 2018 ve 2023 Yılları Arasında Hastane Öncesi Acil Sağlık Hizmetlerine Başvuran Psikiyatrik Acil Durumlar ve Özellikleri: Türkiye Örneği AU - Çuvadar Baş, Yeter AU - Akdoğmuş, Ayşegül PY - 2025 DA - June Y2 - 2025 DO - 10.54996/anatolianjem.1592912 JF - Anatolian Journal of Emergency Medicine JO - Anatolian J Emerg Med PB - Türkiye Acil Tıp Derneği WT - DergiPark SN - 2651-4311 SP - 74 EP - 81 VL - 8 IS - 2 LA - en AB - Aim: Psychiatric disorders are characterized by significant impairments in cognition, emotion, and behavior, with a global prevalence of 29.2%. While these disorders are widespread, they are also commonly encountered as pre-hospital emergencies. The increase in psychiatric emergency admissions has surpassed the general trend in demand for emergency healthcare services. This study aims to identify the frequency and characteristics of psychiatric emergency calls received by the Anatolian Side Command and Control Center in Istanbul and to provide recommendations for improving pre-hospital emergency healthcare services. Material and Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study analyzed data from patients who received emergency services for emergent psychiatric conditions between 2018 and 2023. The data were collected from the "Emergency Health Automation System" (ASOS) and evaluated based on sociodemographic variables. Results: Ambulance calls steadily increased from 2018 to 2021, followed by a decline in 2022 and 2023. Psychiatric emergencies were at their lowest in 2020 but rose again in 2021 and 2022. The majority of psychiatric emergencies consisted of acute behavioral disturbances and suicide attempts. Female cases accounted for 61.5% of the total, and the age group of 18-65 was the most frequently affected. Conclusion: There has been a notable increase in psychiatric emergency cases within pre-hospital healthcare services. While most cases were classified as low urgency, the findings highlight the need for improved service delivery and increased awareness among healthcare personnel regarding psychiatric emergencies. Although most of the cases were classified as low priority, the findings suggest that healthcare personnel working in the prehospital setting should be more thoroughly informed and trained regarding the approach to psychiatric emergencies and the provision of care. KW - Prehospital KW - psychiatric emergency KW - paramedic KW - ambulance calls N2 - Amaç: Psikiyatrik bozukluklar, biliş, duygu ve davranışta belirgin bozulmalarla karakterize olup, küresel prevalansı %29,2'dir. Bu bozukluklar yaygın olmakla birlikte, hastane öncesi acil durumlar arasında da sıkça karşılaşılmaktadır. Psikiyatrik acil başvurularındaki artış, genel acil sağlık hizmetlerine olan talep artışını aşmıştır. Bu çalışmanın amacı, İstanbul Anadolu Yakası Komuta Kontrol Merkezi tarafından alınan psikiyatrik acil çağrıların sıklığını ve özelliklerini belirlemek ve hastane öncesi acil sağlık hizmetlerinin iyileştirilmesine yönelik öneriler sunmaktır. Gereç ve Yöntemler: Bu retrospektif kesitsel çalışmada, 20182023 yılları arasında psikiyatrik durumlar için acil sağlık hizmeti alan hastaların verileri incelenmiştir. Veriler, "Acil Sağlık Otomasyon Sistemi" (ASOS) üzerinden toplanmış ve sosyodemografik değişkenlere göre değerlendirilmiştir. Bulgular: Ambulans çağrıları 2018’den 2021’e kadar düzenli bir artış göstermiş, 2022 ve 2023 yıllarında ise azalma kaydedilmiştir. Psikiyatrik acil durumlar 2020 yılında en düşük seviyede görülmüş, ancak 2021 ve 2022’de yeniden artış göstermiştir. Psikiyatrik acil durumların çoğunluğunu akut davranışsal bozukluklar ve intihar girişimleri oluşturmuştur. 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