[About the use of ketamine in emergency psychiatric settings]

Ketamine and its S-enantiomer, esketamine, have shown to be promising molecules for use in psychiatry. Widely investigated for the treatment of drug-resistant depression, they could be used in emergency conditions, due to their rapid onset of action, in two main conditions : 1) psychomotor agitation, and 2) acute suicidal ideation and behavior (suicidal crisis). In particular, intranasal administration offers a non-invasive, safe and very easy to administer option. An effect begins a few hours to a day after intake and lasts for about a week. These molecules present an innovative option for the future and their specific use in psychiatric emergencies.

Clinical Characteristics of Suicidal Youths and Adults: A One-Year Retrospective Study

Suicide is a major mental health problem, particularly during youth, when it is the second leading cause of death. Since young people at risk of suicide are often cared for by the adult health system, we sought to identify the specificities and similarities between suicidal youths and adults in order to further inform the potential need for adaptations in taking care of suicidal youths. For this study, we used the following data: mental disorders, treatments, previous hospitalization, and reasons for current hospitalization, that were collected from November 2016 to October 2017 among people hospitalized for a suicidal crisis in a specialized psychiatric unit. First, we compared the data from the youth group with those from the adult group, and then we tried to determine if there were any associations between variables. Analyses showed that youths were more similar to adults than expected. In particular, we found comparable rates of personality disorders (especially borderline) and relapse, and similar profiles of reasons for hospitalization in suicidal crisis. Remarkably, among youth, neuroleptics appeared to be associated with fewer hospitalizations for behavioral than ideational reasons, but with more relapses. Results of this study suggest that young people could benefit from brief psychotherapeutic interventions implemented for adults.

[Health crisis and suicidal crisis: mirrored lighting]

The psychotherapeutic management of a suicidal crisis makes it possible to think of the health crisis linked to COVID-19 from a particular angle. In this article, we show the parallels but also the differences between these two types of crises. The sequential course of the crisis, the viral agent which acts as a triggering factor and the host of reactions which follow can thus evoke a suicidal crisis during which a subject often perceives an external event as a precipitating factor. However, unlike confinement in the case of the virus, it is the relationship, in particular the therapeutic relationship, which makes it possible to get through the crisis. This relationship should allow us to get to know our specific vulnerabilities, those on which the triggering factor has specifically acted.