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Delayed Access to Involuntary Mental Health Examinations

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Abstract

Delayed access to involuntary mental health examination for people who receive care in emergency departments (EDs) was examined, and factors that influenced delayed access were explored. A retrospective review of records for the 12 months prior to data collection was conducted to address the study questions. The health services utilization model served as the conceptual framework for this study. Societal, system, and individual factors were considered in examining access to involuntary emergency mental health examination by adult ED patients. Records of 170 people who sought care in EDs and who required involuntary mental health examinations at two hospitals in Florida served as the sources for study data. The mean duration of delay was 14.9 h. The determinants that were significantly associated with longer delays were being male, increased age, and intoxication. The findings can inform the allocation of resources to increase opportunities for positive long-term outcomes following involuntary care.

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Acknowledgments

Support for this manuscript was provided by a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nursing and Health Policy Collaborative at the University of New Mexico.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Florida Community Health Action Information Network (CHAIN), Coconut Creek, FL, USA

    Laura Brennaman PhD, RN CEN

  2. College of Nursing, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA

    Blake Boursaw MS, BSM & Robin Meize-Growchowski PhD, RN

  3. Department of Mental Health Law & Policy de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute College of Behavioral and Community, Sciences University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA

    Annette Christy PhD

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  1. Laura Brennaman PhD, RN CEN
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  2. Blake Boursaw MS, BSM
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  3. Annette Christy PhD
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  4. Robin Meize-Growchowski PhD, RN
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Correspondence to Laura Brennaman PhD, RN CEN.

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The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Ethics Approval

The hospitals’ Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) and the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center Human Research Protections Office approved the feasibility study and full study and waived informed consent and HIPAA authorization.

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Brennaman, L., Boursaw, B., Christy, A. et al. Delayed Access to Involuntary Mental Health Examinations. J Behav Health Serv Res 44, 666–683 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11414-015-9487-2

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