What it means
In mental health, a crisis is set off by an event such as a loss, trauma, illness or big life change, and it usually lasts a few weeks. Kinds include developmental (maturational), situational and disaster (adventitious) crises. In physical health the word means a sudden, dangerous turn for the worse, as in a sickle cell crisis, adrenal crisis or hypertensive crisis.
For the nurse
In a mental health crisis, check safety first, including thoughts of suicide or harming others. Stay with the person, speak calmly and simply, focus on the problem in front of them and help them find support and next steps.
At a glance
| Spanish | crisis |
|---|---|
| Also written | crises |
Related terms
post-traumatic stress disorder
A mental health condition that develops after a person lives through or sees a terrifying event.