Objective: In the elderly, emergency department visits are of considerable importance because of serious consequences of psychiatric disorders. In this study, it was aimed to determine the sociodemographic characteristics and diagnoses affecting the application of geriatric patients to psychiatric emergency services.

Material and Method: Patients over 65 years of age admitted to Elazığ Mental Health Hospital Emergency Service in between 01.01.2015 and 31.12.2015 were retrospectively investigated.

Results: 185 patients over 65 years of age who were included to our study consist of %61,1 (n=113) male and %38,9 (n=72) female patients. Mean age of all patients is calculated as 73.68 ± 7.47. The rate of young olds %55,7 (n=103) is higher than rates of middle olds [%33,5 (n=62)] and old olds [%10.8 (n=20)]. %32.4 (n=60) of the subjects were living in rural area and %67.6 (n=125) of them were living in urban area. The range of diagnoses of patients detected as; general psychiatric examination %4.9 (n =9), anxiety disorder %23.8 (n=44), depression %25.9 (n=48), bipolar affective disorder %4.9 (n=9), schizophrenia %12.4 (n=23), dementia %14.1 (n=26), other medical disorders %8.6 (n=16), delirium %1.6 (n=3) and forensic examinations including blood- alcohol drug tests %3.8 (n=7).Conclusion: Application rate of elderly people to psychiatric emergency service in our area due to mental disorders mainly anxiety and depression has been found high. It is important for the clinicians to be professionally qualified enough in geriatrics in terms of determination of older people’s needs in pyschiatric emergency departments.