Sharp Increase in ED Visits for Mental Health Disorders

Visits related to mental health disorders increased at three times the rate of emergency department visits overall.

To examine trends in emergency department (ED) use by patients with mental health disorders, researchers reviewed 2008 to 2010 data from a North Carolina epidemiologic database. Visits for poisoning and overdose, metabolic or structural encephalopathies, substance abuse disorders, and tobacco use were excluded.

While the annual number of ED visits increased by 5.1% over the study period, visits for mental health disorders increased by 17.7%, accounting for 9.3% of all ED visits by 2010. The population-based annual rate of mental health–related ED visits was twice as high in patients aged 65 and older as in younger patients, and half of older patients with mental health disorders were admitted to the hospital. A large proportion of the visits…

Reviewing Author

Diane M. Birnbaumer, MD, FACEP

Disclosures

Consultant / Advisory boardSecurisyn

Editorial boardsThe Merck Manuals (Home and Physician Editions)

Diane M. Birnbaumer, MD, FACEP

Disclosures

Consultant / Advisory boardSecurisyn

Editorial boardsThe Merck Manuals (Home and Physician Editions)

Sharp Increase in ED Visits for Mental Health Disorders

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Reviewing Author