Violent and agitated behaviour are common causes of admission in a psychiatric emergency center. According to medical literature, these individuals are often patients with serious mental illness.

The authors conducted an observational and retrospective study aiming to characterize individuals who were brought to the psychiatric emergency room presenting disturbed behaviour and aggressiveness.

The authors conducted a survey from computer medical records of 4537 psychiatric emergency events. This number accounts for the total observations occurred in psychiatric emergencies from January 2010 till June 2010. the authors analyzed socio-demographic and emergency episode data (admission motive, patient's diagnosis and orientation). the selected individuals were compared to the remaining patients brought to the psychiatric emergency service. Statistical analysis was performed with SPSS program, chi-square's, Fisher's and Mann-Whitney's tests.

15% of psychiatric emergency patients, were brought by violent and agitated behaviour. Approximately 65% were male. Schizophrenia, delusional disorders and dementias were more associated with violent and agitated behaviour (p < 0.001). 25% of all schizophrenias, 50% of all dementias, 15% of all delusional disorders, 9.5% of all personality disorders,7.5% of all bipolar disorders, 6.4% of all addictions and 1.1% of all anxiety/depressions had violent behaviours. Violent and agitated patients were more frequently admitted to psychiatric nursery and submitted to compulsory admission (p < 0.001).

The majority of patients with violent and agitated behaviours were psychotic males with schizophrenia or dementia. However it is primordial excluding a physical illness causing a confusional state before considering a psychiatric diagnosis.