• Kate Derrick, Justin Chia, Sarah O'Donovan, Alexandra Emerton, Marika Hamlyn, and Timothy Wand.
• Transitional Nurse Practitioner, Mental Health Liaison, Emergency Department, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia kate.derrick@sswahs.nsw.gov.au.
• Australas Psychiatry. 2015 Oct 1; 23 (5): 517-9.

ObjectiveIn this study we aimed to examine the characteristics of Mental Health Act (MHA) usage in the Emergency Department (ED) of an urban teaching hospital in Sydney.MethodsAll MHA certificates written on individuals in the ED over a 12-week period in 2013 were collected. The medical record of each individual was reviewed by a member of the research team using an audit tool developed for the study. Any uncertainty over individual cases was addressed through research team consensus.ResultsA total of 172 MHA certificates were collected; 67 were written by police, 45 by ambulance, 54 by medical officers and three by accredited persons. Three magistrate orders for assessment were also received. Seventy percent of police and 60% of ambulance MHA certificates did not result in admission. Over a third were revoked by ED physicians. Forty-five people (32.4%) who presented voluntarily were subsequently detained.ConclusionsPolice and ambulance MHA certification was a poor predictor of admission. Least restrictive measures were predominantly the outcome. Delegating ED physicians with authorised medical officer status assisted in facilitating this process. Formalised education and training on the principles and practicalities of MHA legislation should be ongoing for all professionals involved.© The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists 2015.

17 keywords...

hide…