Over the Last decades outpacients services become a substitute for psychiatric hospitals in Brazil. For most patients, Psychiatric emergency Services represents the entry point into health care system and an essential source of treatment. The Psychiatric Emergency Service of the University Hospital of Santa Maria (SEP/HUSM) has operated since 1972 and serves the 537,745 inhabitants of 31 municipalities in southern Brazil.

To describe the profile of SEP/HUSM visits in the years 2010 and 2011.

Define the profile and the quality of care of visits to SEP/HUSM. Evaluate the characteristics of the visitas in SEP/HUSM during the years 2010 and 2011 to compare the statistics with other services.

This is a cross-sectional study of 7853 visitas, with the data of a questionnaire defined in the SEP/HUSM, associated with the records of the HUSM and using demographics and clinical variables. Research approved by the ethics committee HUSM.

The majority of the patients are from Santa Maria (83,9%), male (52%), 25-44 years old, had Mood Disorders (39%) and Substance Dependence (28,3%), came to the SEP/HUSM during the weekdays, and were sent to the observation room (21.5%) or hospitalized (18,9%).

The profile of the care provided in the SEP/HUSM is similar to other centers. There is a great demand by patients without the appropriate profile of treatment in the SEP/HUSM, probably due to problems in the other units of the mental health system.