Resource

The presence of one or more risk factors—such as a major mental disorder, alcoholic dependence, and previous suicide attempts as well as acute psychosocial stressors—that bring a severely mentally ill person to the hospital emergency setting needs careful consideration and assessment before patient disposition. However, many factors and procedures, both patient and systems related, potentially diminish the quality of care provided and are burdensome to implement. This article highlights the numerous lapses and obstacles to appropriate care that can occur and some proposed solutions to enhance the quality of care. 

Citation:

Jayaram, G., & Triplett, P. (2008). Quality improvement of psychiatric care: challenges of emergency psychiatry. The American journal of psychiatry, 165(10), 1256-1260.