Which assessment observations will be most influential in determining whether a patient exhibiting signs of alcohol intoxication who was brought to the emergency room by friends will be involuntarily admitted for psychiatric evaluation?

Question

Select all that apply.
a. The patient's earlier contact with a crisis hotline
b. Expressing a desire, "to just drive myself home"
c. Patient's admission that, "I don't want to keep living like this."
d. Uncooperative and disrespectful behavior towards the hospital staff
e. Announcing that, "my girlfriend will pay for leaving me for my best friend."

Answer 1

ANS: C, E
The decision to admit this patient involuntarily is based on whether the person poses a danger to himself or herself, including sharing thoughts or threats of suicide, sharing a suicide plan, or actively using a weapon or situation to injure himself or herself; and/or whether the person poses a danger to others as evidenced by threatening another, brandishing a weapon, or dis-playing erratic or unpredictable behavior. The remaining options do not fulfill either of these conditions.