The journal of mental health policy and economics
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J Ment Health Policy Econ · Jun 2020
Determinants of Boarding of Patients with Severe Mental Illness in Hospital Emergency Departments.
Boarding of patients in hospital emergency departments (EDs) occurs routinely across the U.S. ED patients with behavioral health conditions are more likely to be boarded than other patients. However, the existing literature on ED boarding of psychiatric patients remains largely descriptive and has not empirically related mental health system capacity to psychiatric boarding. Nor does it show how the mental health system could better address the needs of populations at the highest risk of ED boarding. ⋯ Continued investment in mental health system resources may reduce psychiatric ED visits and mitigate the psychiatric ED boarding problem.