In Ishikawa Prefecture, the psychiatric emergency care system was started in 1998 and has become established among the residents. In the prefecture, the number of emergency psychiatric consultations has been declining. In particular, the number of patients treated by Ishikawa Prefectural Hospital of Mental Health has decreased significantly. On the other hand, the number of the reports by police officers and the number of involuntary hospitalizations in the Ishikawa Prefecture are increasing. It is noteworthy that schizophrenic patients account for only a small percentage of the total number of involuntary hospitalizations. Improvement of the local mental health care system could contribute to this situation.
 Author's abstract