OBJECTIVE: This study examined the predictors of actions to initiate involuntary commitment of individuals experiencing a mental health crisis. METHODS: Emergency services clinicians throughout Virginia completed a questionnaire following each face-to-face evaluation of individuals experiencing a mental health crisis. Over a one-month period in 2007, a total of 2,624 adults were evaluated. Logistic hierarchical multiple regression was used to analyze the relationship between demographic, clinical, and service-related variables and outcomes of the emergency evaluations. RESULTS: Several factors predicted 84% of the actions taken to initiate involuntary commitment. These included unavailability of alternatives to hospitalization, such as temporary housing or residential crisis stabilization; evaluation of the client in a hospital emergency room or police station or while in police custody; current enrollment in treatment; and clinical factors related to the commitment criteria, including risk of self-harm or harm to others, acuity and severity of the crisis, and current drug abuse or dependence. CONCLUSIONS: A lack of intensive community-based treatment and support in lieu of hospitalization accounted for a significant portion of variance in actions to initiate involuntary commitment. Comprehensive community services and supports for individuals experiencing mental health crises may reduce the rate of involuntary hospitalization. There is a need to enrich intensive community mental health services and supports and to evaluate the impact of these enhancements on the frequency of involuntary mental health interventions.
OBJECTIVE: This study examined the predictors of actions to initiate involuntary commitment of individuals experiencing a mental health crisis. METHODS: Emergency services clinicians throughout Virginia completed a questionnaire following each face-to-face evaluation of individuals experiencing a mental health crisis. Over a one-month period in 2007, a total of 2,624 adults were evaluated. Logistic hierarchical multiple regression was used to analyze the relationship between demographic, clinical, and service-related variables and outcomes of the emergency evaluations. RESULTS: Several factors predicted 84% of the actions taken to initiate involuntary commitment. These included unavailability of alternatives to hospitalization, such as temporary housing or residential crisis stabilization; evaluation of the client in a hospital emergency room or police station or while in police custody; current enrollment in treatment; and clinical factors related to the commitment criteria, including risk of self-harm or harm to others, acuity and severity of the crisis, and current drug abuse or dependence. CONCLUSIONS: A lack of intensive community-based treatment and support in lieu of hospitalization accounted for a significant portion of variance in actions to initiate involuntary commitment. Comprehensive community services and supports for individuals experiencing mental health crises may reduce the rate of involuntary hospitalization. There is a need to enrich intensive community mental health services and supports and to evaluate the impact of these enhancements on the frequency of involuntary mental health interventions.
Authors: Sharon M Holder; Calvert Warren; Kenneth Rogers; Benjamin Griffeth; Eunice Peterson; Dawn Blackhurst; Christian Ochonma Journal: Community Ment Health J Date: 2017-03-02
Authors: Rashmi Patel; Edward Chesney; Alexis E Cullen; Alex D Tulloch; Matthew Broadbent; Robert Stewart; Philip McGuire Journal: Br J Psychiatry Date: 2016-04-21 Impact factor: 9.319
Authors: Daniel Schöttle; Friederike Ruppelt; Benno G Schimmelmann; Anne Karow; Alexandra Bussopulos; Jürgen Gallinat; Klaus Wiedemann; Daniel Luedecke; Anja Christine Rohenkohl; Christian G Huber; Thomas Bock; Martin Lambert Journal: Front Psychiatry Date: 2019-10-24 Impact factor: 4.157
Authors: Manuela Silva; Ana Antunes; Sofia Azeredo-Lopes; Adriana Loureiro; Benedetto Saraceno; José Miguel Caldas-de-Almeida; Graça Cardoso Journal: Int J Ment Health Syst Date: 2021-04-20
Authors: Daniel Schöttle; Benno G Schimmelmann; Friederike Ruppelt; Alexandra Bussopulos; Marietta Frieling; Evangelia Nika; Luise Antonia Nawara; Dietmar Golks; Andrea Kerstan; Matthias Lange; Michael Schödlbauer; Anne Daubmann; Karl Wegscheider; Anja Rohenkohl; Gizem Sarikaya; Mary Sengutta; Daniel Luedecke; Linus Wittmann; Gunda Ohm; Christina Meigel-Schleiff; Jürgen Gallinat; Klaus Wiedemann; Thomas Bock; Anne Karow; Martin Lambert Journal: PLoS One Date: 2018-02-27 Impact factor: 3.240