[Timely consultation of psychiatric assessment by members of the public health services].

The present possibilities and limitations of psychiatric expertising (supplementary or main) by the Public Health services are explained taking the proband group of public servants as an example. The need, preconditions, planning, designing, interaction, methods, amount of work and cost involved in such expertising are described in detail and illustrated by brief case reports, including psychodynamic aspects and definition and outlining of various phases of the relevant examinations. A guiding thesis is proposed: Successful psychiatric assessment of an individual is always also a crisis intervention with therapeutic changes and effects--even if this aim has not been consciously aimed at, but better still if performed with this purpose in mind. Obsolete approaches are pinpointed and quality standards stipulated. Possibilities of improvement and preventive aspects are shown.