As someone who suffers with several mental health issues including Asperger’s Syndrome, severe depression and social anxiety, I can say that I never once considered going to the emergency room instead of my psychiatrist or neurologist.
According to a recent CNN article, ER’s are “flooded” with mentally ill patients who simply have no place else to turn, thus the visit to the ER doctor.
Why is this a big deal?
A 2017 report by the U.S. government found that emergency room visits are up 15% from 2006-2014. During that same period, visits by people for mental or substance abuse disorders increased 44%
That’s a huge difference.
Our topic for Thursday night’s Mental Health and Wellness call at 9 pm Eastern/6 pm Pacific (more info below) is Mental Health, the ER & Your Neighbors Health.
The most common mental health issues seen by ER physicians are depression, anxiety, suicidal behavior, self-harm, and substance-related conditions.
So what’s the big deal? Besides longer wait times for other patients waiting for a bed, there’s the potential for violence in the ER, caused by mentally ill patients. Also, because the mental health patient tends to be demanding and time-consuming, that limits the time doctors and nurses can spend on other patients.
I played recreational ice hockey for many years and that means more than a few visits to the ER throughout my “career.” I can tell you without a doubt that there is most definitely a mental health stigma amongst some workers in the emergency room.
I know this because when I would see the nurse and was asked about my medical history, I generally gave them everything. Once the mental health info came out you could see a difference in the person’s demeanor. They were more defensive and wary.
As an autistic experiment, when I went in for rib, kidney or shoulder injuries, on a couple occasions I kept my mouth shut about the mental health conditions and left out the accompanying medicines when I gave the nurse my medication list.
The way I was treated was noticeably different.
Besides the wait of other patients once the mental health patient is in a bed, mental health patients tend to wait in the ER bed 3.2 times more than the non-mental health patient. This can cause the reason for the visit to be exacerbated as the mentally ill patient is now building frustration and possibly anger on top of the reason for the visit.
It also keeps patients with medical problems out in the lobby.
Many ER doctors agree that the mental health field as a whole is underfunded and when you learn that from their peak in 1955, psychiatric beds in hospitals or outpatient facilities have decreased by 97%, you can see why they feel that way.
Depending on which study you read and believe, the United States ranks somewhere near 45th in the world as far as psychiatric beds per 100,000 people. I saw four studies and they all ranked the U.S. in the forties.
What can be done about this problem? Join us Thursday night and let’s all put our heads together to figure it out.
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Thursdays
Mental Health & Wellness
Thursdays at 9 pm Eastern Time/6 pm Pacific
Get together with a group every week to share insights and create real social change about the stigma attached to mental health.
RSVP: Mental Health & Wellness Calls
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