Emergency Care & Intervention

Emergency Care and Intervention in Mental Health: Understanding Urgency and Resources Available

Introduction

It is a situation that should never be thought of as no less important in terms of urgency and dangerousness compared to other emergencies that might affect one's physical health. Sometimes incidents of mental conditions can get so big that immediate interventions could be necessary; sometimes such incidents make the affected person harm others or even themselves. Though that may be incomprehensible, knowing when to seek emergency care during a disastrous moment, what the resources are, and how effectively one may intervene is puzzling. The following article considers in little more detail what intervention and care may consist of in instances of an emergency concerning mental health, some of the ways a crisis may be identified, access to care provided, and people supported during these important times.

Understanding Mental Health Emergencies

What Is a Mental Health Emergency?

A mental health crisis is a situation in which an individual becomes an immediate danger to themselves or others due to some extremely high level of emotional disturbance. Other examples of mental health crises include suicidal ideation, violence, psychosis, and uncontrollable anxiety or panic.

Common Signs of a Mental Health Crisis

Being able to identify signs indicative of the existence of a mental health emergency is important so intervention may occur with dispatch. These can include but are not limited to, the following: voicing suicidal ideation or intent, attempting self-harm, or threatening self-injury; extreme restlessness or violence toward others; hallucinations or delusions in which a person has lost contact with reality; inability to attend to basic needs or severe withdrawal from usual activities; and severe anxiety or uncontrolled panic attacks.

The Importance of Immediate Intervention

 Precluding Escalation

The most crucial objective of mental health crisis intervention is the failure to escalate into a disaster that can be deadly. Early intervention could defuse the crisis and ensure that stability in the life of the patient is sustained by him getting the necessary help towards his recovery.

Saving Lives

Suicidal ideation and self-inflicted injury can also be an emergency that justifies immediate intervention in the hope of preventing a tragedy. Emergency care serves as a safety net in providing immediate access to a professional who will then take further steps to evaluate the risk and protect the individual when necessary.

Connecting to Long-Term Care

Emergency interventions also provide an incredibly critical linkage to longer-term mental health services. Professionals, once the immediate crisis has been stabilized, can refer individuals to longer-term care, which might include but is not limited to therapy, medication management, or support groups.

What to Do in a Mental Health Emergency

Assess the Situation

Introduction to Mental Health Emergency Response First, when approaching a mental health emergency, the situation needs to be assessed to determine whether there is immediate danger either to oneself or others. If in doubt, always take the better side of caution and seek emergency help.

Contacting Emergency Services

If someone is in real and immediate danger, the first step is always to call emergency services 911 or whatever number is assigned to emergency services where they are. Prepare to clearly explain what is happening, including the behavior of the individual, known mental health history, and whether he or she currently presents a threat to safety.

Guiding Someone Until Help Arrives

While waiting for the emergency services to arrive, try as much as possible and support the person by talking to them slowly using a soothing voice with no sudden gestures or words that might provoke them. Where possible, remove any objects that could potentially be used to harm either themselves or others.

Involvement of Mental Health Specialists

There are times when it would be indicated to bring in a professional in mental health, such as a psychiatrist or a crisis counselor. Many of these hotlines and crisis intervention services are immediately available and can help and guide further as to the next steps that can be taken.

Emergency Mental Health Care Resources

Emergency Rooms

Emergency rooms can treat almost any immediate crisis a person is having. In immediate danger to him- or herself or others, this is one of the best places someone will receive immediate treatment and stabilization. Most are affiliated with psychiatric services or can refer someone for more specialized care.

Crisis Hotlines

Crisis hotlines are some of the most valuable resources a person in distress for their mental health could seek out. One such example is the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, 1-800-273-TALK. This service is 24/7 and involves connecting a patient with a trained counselor who would be knowledgeable about how to provide immediate support, de-escalation in a situation, and linking with local resources.

Mobile Crisis Units

These are mobile teams of mental health professionals that can easily be availed at the site where the crisis is occurring. They would comprise psychiatrists, social workers, and counselors specially trained in on-site assessment and management of active emergencies involving mental health, hence providing immediate care and referrals.

Crisis Intervention Teams (CIT)

Specially trained CITs currently respond to mental health emergencies in many police jurisdictions. The police officers in these specially trained units are thoroughly trained in de-escalation techniques and familiar with local mental health resources that greatly enhance their ability to respond effectively to individuals in crisis.

Continuing Care After a Mental Health Crisis

Outpatient Transition

On the other hand, outpatient care is usually a more selective process to further recover from the immediate crisis that has just been diverted. Sometimes this includes regular sessions of therapy and medication management. It may also involve the working of support groups. In that level of care, extra support helps keep mental health on track and can avoid possible future episodes of crisis.

Safety Plan

A safety plan simply refers to a personal plan that outlines ways a person can care for him or herself should a recurrence of the mental health crisis arise. It usually contains a list of early warning signs, coping strategies, support persons' contact details, and emergency contacts. Safety plans involve the combined effort of both a patient and his or her mental health provider. These are an integral part of the prevention of future crises and management of the same.

Involving Family and Loved Ones

One of the most vital resources for someone going through a mental health crisis is family and loved ones. One of the finest recovery outcomes can be achieved with emotional support, information regarding the patient's condition, and any necessary follow-up care. Family therapy may be indicated if there have been relational factors that contributed to the crisis.

Barriers to Emergency Mental Health Care

Stigma-Misunderstanding

Of the various types of barriers to emergency mental health care, perhaps the most dramatic involves the stigma of mental illness itself. That stigma can manifest as resistance to seeking help at times of crisis or to providing appropriate levels of care. Many responders lack training in the handling of a mental health crisis and may mismanage the situation or cause injury.

Access to Care

Though sometimes available on an emergency basis, largely through the emergency departments or inpatient settings especially to people staying in rural areas or without sufficient health cover, long waiting lists, shortages of psychiatric beds, and a poorly configured crisis service-all these lead to delays in care.

Balancing Rights and Safety

Most of these emergencies often show a dangerous trade-off between the protection of the rights of an individual and the protection of well-being. Traumatic, highly controversial, and against one's will, hospitalization is in some instances regarded as an involuntary commitment. Such sensitive tasks are to be done with lots of care by mental health professionals.

Improve Emergency Mental Health Care

First Responder Training

First-responder training would need to be developed so that police, paramedics, and emergency room personnel know how to respond. More specialized programs, such as the CIT training, would create first responders who have identified skills and knowledge regarding how to work with these situations for necessary referrals.

Expand Crisis Services

Other measures that will ensure that more people get immediate care where that might be necessary include scaling up crisis services, including mobile crisis units and centers available 24/7. Mental health services need to be better resourced and funded in light of the growing demand for crisis intervention.

Integrate Mental Health into Emergency Care

Improvement of outcomes can also be achieved through the inclusion of mental health in general emergency care. These may include locating mental health specialists in emergency departments, facilitating collaboration between emergency response personnel and mental health providers, and making mental health screening part of all emergency care.

Conclusion

Emergency care and intervention form part of the integral elements that constitute mental health care. It is knowing when to look for how and where to get help; it is resources available, and follow-up care saves lives and improves outcomes in crises. If more awareness can be made coupled with an increase in these resources, then perhaps it would amount to more such needy cases getting the much-needed care. Understanding the challenges and making an effort to make these systems better will ensure that everyone receives much-needed support through a mental health crisis and onto a path of recovery.