Enhancing Emergency Room Mental Health Crisis Response: A Systematic Review of Integrated Models

Abstract

The integration of psychiatric treatment into emergency services is critical to improving the management of severe mental health emergencies. Emergency departments (EDs) are frequently the initial point of contact for patients with mental emergencies, but they are not always prepared to offer adequate care. This systematic review aims to analyze the effectiveness of collaborative care models (CCMs), psychiatric consultation-liaison (C-L) teams, and telepsychiatry in enhancing psychiatric treatment in emergencies. We searched numerous databases, including PubMed, PsycINFO, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library, for papers published between 2013 and 2023. A total of 18 studies matched our inclusion criteria, and the results show that integrated care models shorten hospital stays, enhance patient outcomes, and expand access to psychiatric treatments, particularly in remote locations. The limitations of this review include the heterogeneity of study designs and the underrepresentation of low-income countries. Future research should focus on developing standardized protocols for psychiatric integration into emergency services. This review bridges a critical gap in the literature by offering a comprehensive evaluation of various psychiatric care models in EDs and addressing existing barriers to implementation.

Keywords: collaborative care models; consultation-liaison teams; emergency room; psychiatric care; telepsychiatry consultation.

Figure 1. PRISMA flow diagram for study search

PRISMA: Preferred Reporting Items for Meta-Analysis and Systematic Reviews [20]