ABSTRACT
This chapter will offer the reader an insight into the history and current context of responding to acute mental health and behavioural disturbances in Australian Health Services, and an overview of crisis theory and how psychosocial crisis manifests in emotional and behavioural dysregulation. It will outline common mental health and related problems and how they manifest in presentations to Emergency and Crisis Services and will discuss the complexities involved in responding to suicidal and self-injurious behaviour. Readers will be provided with an overview of current challenges, concerns and competing discourses that impact on service responses to people with acute mental health issues.
