[Emergency services for crisis intervention--8 years' experience of a social psychiatry service in a rural area].

This is a report on a special around-the-clock service for psychiatric crisis intervention, maintained by social workers of a Sociopsychiatric Service (SpD) in cooperation with a psychiatrist. Only in a few number of cases it is necessary to make use of Federal German psychiatric legislation ("Psych-KG"). If compulsory admission to a hospital becomes necessary it is usually for a period of from one week to six weeks. The introduction of this sociopsychiatric concept which stresses the importance of familiar community environment, has clearly changed quality and quantity of compulsory admission in rural areas also. Only half of the work of this special service for crisis intervention is called for during regular working hours.