Emergency mental healt situations

An emergency mental healt situation can affect anyone – also children and young adults – just lika a „physical“ emergency. We differentiate between acute episodes of mental illness, acute suicidal tendency and acute mental symptoms without mental ilness. In the case of adolescents, a psychological exceptional situation within the context of a drug consumption is also to be considered. Special mention should be made of the breath holding spellf, which can occur in young children (especially between 6 months and 4 years).

Symptoms are

Deep sadness or hopelessness
Sudden weeping
Retreat, avoid contact, inattention
Anxiety, hallucinations
Strongly Intensified Breathing (Hyperventilation)
Breath holding spell: Short unconsciousness after loud screaming or crying

First Aid Measures

Take care of the patient (do not leave them on their own) and try making conversation with them
Do not leave children alone, comfort them
Consult a medical expert
With hyperventilation: get their attention (if necessary, using pain stimulus), followed by talking to them calmly and asking them to breathe slower (talking down)

Also note

A child, which finds itself in a physical emergency simultaneously always is in a mental emergency. Empathy and calming therefore is a very important component of first aid in this situation.
Breath-holding spells develop out of an emotional overload of the toddler, are very impressive and medically completely harmless.

psychischer notfall kind

Advanced subjects

Hyperventilation