A scoping review of studies into crisis resolution teams in community mental health services

Abstract

Background and purpose of article: Crisis Resolution Teams (CRT) for rapid assessment and short-term treatment of mental health problems have increasingly been implemented internationally over the last decades. Among the Nordic countries, the CRT model has been particularly influential in Norway, where 'Ambulante akutteam (AAT)' is a widespread psychiatric emergency service for adult patients. However, the clinical practice of these teams varies significantly. To aid further development of the service and guide future research efforts, we carried out a scoping review to provide an up-to-date overview of research available in primary studies focusing on phenomena related to CRTs in English and Scandinavian literature.

Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted in the bibliometric databases MEDLINE, Embase, PsychINFO, Scopus, and SveMed+. Included studies were thematically analyzed using a qualitative method.

Results: The search identified 1516 unique references, of which 129 were included in the overview. Thematic analysis showed that the studies could be assigned to: (1) Characteristics of CRTs (k = 45), which described key principles or specific interventions; (2) Implementation of CRTs (k = 54), which were descriptive about implementation in different teams, or normative about what clinical practice should include; and (3) Effect of CRTs (k = 38).

Conclusions: The international research literature on CRTs or equivalent teams is extensive. Many sub-themes have been studied with various research methodologies. Recent studies provide a better evidence base for how to organize services and to select therapeutic interventions, but there is still a need for more controlled studies in the field.

Keywords: Crisis resolution team; acute psychiatry; community mental health centers; community mental health services; emergency psychiatry.