Patterns of emergency department use for medical conditions among persons with serious mental illness

Abstract

Objective: This study examined predictors of medical emergency department use among veterans with serious mental illness.

Methods: Participants were 118 psychiatrically hospitalized veterans with a serious mental illness who were identified as at risk for treatment dropout. Participants completed an interview and had their charts reviewed as part of a larger study.

Results: Nearly half of participants had at least one medical emergency visit, and 20% had two or more visits in the six months after hospital discharge. Outpatient service utilization of both general medical treatment and mental health-substance abuse treatment, as well as psychiatric symptoms, anxiety, and lower levels of satisfaction with current living situation, were associated with increased medical emergency department use.

Conclusions: Medical emergency department use was relatively common in this population of veterans with serious mental illness. Mental health and general medical health needs should be addressed in an integrated fashion to reduce the use of the emergency department.