Psychiatric services : a journal of the American Psychiatric Association
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This study estimated trends in the duration of emergency department visits from 2001 to 2006 and compared duration by presenting complaint-mental health related or non-mental health related. ⋯ From 2001 to 2006, the duration of emergency department visits made by patients presenting with mental health complaints and visits made by all other patients increased at similar rates. However, the longer visits for certain groups of mental health patients suggest that emergency departments incur higher costs in connection with the delivery of services to persons in need of acute stabilization.