Alternative to hospitalization and crisis management

In a general context of desinstitutionalisation, several psychiatric teams have proposed an alternative to hospitalisation when crisis occurs. In Fran ce, ERIC (Emergency Mobile Psychiatric Team) is available 24 hours a day by social and medical professionals, and intervene at home in ci-isis psychia tric situations. it proposes post-emergency cares during one month. The aim of this service is to propose home intensive psychiatric cai-es, emphasisi ng resources of the patient mid his relatives, more than the institutional aspect of treatment. Evaluation of ERIC has shown that avoiding hospitalisa tion when crisis occurs is possible, and that availability of a mobile cr-i sis psychiatric team increase access to cares. Moreover, despite large vari ations in organisation and functioning of crisis teams, analysis of literat ure shows that home psychiatric cares are preferred by patients and relativ es, with results comparable with a classical hospitalisation care program a t a lesser cost. Improving access to cares allows an early detection and a precocious treatment of psychosis. Moi-e studies will be needed to precise the impact of home intervention on the long term cares' trajectory.