The early and correct assessment of psychomotor agitation (PMA) is essential to ensure prompt intervention by healthcare professionals to improve the patient’s condition, protect healthcare staff, and facilitate future management. Proper training for recognizing and managing agitation in all care settings is desirable to improve patient outcomes. The best approach is one that is ethical, non-invasive, and respectful of the patient’s dignity. When deemed necessary, pharmacological interventions must be administered rapidly and avoid producing an excessive state of sedation, except in cases of severe and imminent danger to the patient or others. The purpose of this brief review is to raise awareness about best practices for the management of PMA in emergency care situations and consider the role of new pharmacological interventions in patients with agitation associated with bipolar disorder or schizophrenia.

Introduction: Data from the literature show that prolonged-release injectable antipsychotics (LAIs) ensure constant blood drug levels better patient compliance and offer a simpler treatment regimen for both patients and caregivers. This observational–descriptive study aims to detect the possible complications found in newborns of women with bipolar or psychotic disorders and LAI therapy during pregnancy. Methods: This study involved women with psychotic disorders during pregnancy who contacted the Teratology Information Center of Bergamo, Italy between 2016 and 2021 to receive counseling on the possible risks of exposure to LAI therapy. The follow-up procedure was carried out by telephone interview or direct contact with the patient and/or her physician. Results: In this study, LAI treatment in pregnancy was not associated with an increased risk of malformations. All but one of the children in the sample were born healthy and the mothers maintained psychopathological compensation during pregnancy. Conclusions: This study showed that, despite the small size of the sample under examination, the administration of LAIs do not compromise the normal intrauterine development of the unborn child and there were no evident major malformations.

Objectives: Workplace violence is a common risk for mental health professionals, and psychiatrists often encounter it in a variety of settings. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence and features of violent episodes toward psychiatrists in various mental healthcare system settings. Methods: All psychiatrists from the Region of Puglia (Apulia) were contacted (N=285) via email and were administered an on-line standardized questionnaire. Results: The response rate by psychiatrists was 57%. The main types of violence revealed were “threats” and “verbal aggression” and, of particular importance, “stalking”. Female psychiatrists seemed to be at a higher risk of becoming victims of workplace violence, especially as regards verbal abuse (OR: 2.7, 95% CI: 1.2-6.5, c2 6.7, p=0.0095) and reported more serious psychological consequences with need for rest after the episode of aggression. Conclusions: Our data confirm that mental health workers, particularly psychiatrists, are healthcare professionals at high risk for workplace violence. Future implementation of preventive strategies with the aim of reducing aggressive episodes towards psychiatrists should be a high priority for managers and policy-makers operating in the Italian healthcare sector.