A flow chart model for crisis intervention.

Abstract

It is a truism that when people experience distress or disease, they frequently seek out trusted help to comfort them and to cure their ailment. It is also generally accepted that the personal perception of distress or disease relies on a number of contextual factors such as personality, education, cultural background, situation, and availability of support, as well as the nature of the particular agent which provokes the perception itself. This paper suggests that attention given to these factors, and to their interaction in producing a 'crisis', is essential for effective intervention. Further, the particular role of the general practitioner requires of him or her an ability to deal creatively with persons who are locked in a 'crisis system'.