Crisis mental health assessments: Scoping review.

Abstract

Background/aim: Background: There is no one size fits all approach for mental health assessments in the emergency department setting, particularly in regional and rural settings. In October 2023 the Grampians Mental Health and Wellbeing Service (GMHWS) Working Group for Recovery Oriented Practice presented a summary of findings regarding Intake Assessment. It concluded that the current practice, model, process, and documentation could be improved to enhance the experience for people using the service, increasing the likelihood of more meaningful engagement. The Working Group made recommendations for a scoping review to be conducted in relation to mental health assessments. Aim: To conduct a scoping review of mental health crisis assessments in the emergency department to further explore the current evidence base and best practice. Population/setting: Mental Health, Emergency Department Methods: Method: A systematic search of Embase, MEDLINE Complete, PsycINFO, and CINAHL has been conducted to identify mental health crisis assessments in the emergency department. Data will be screened and extracted by 6 independent reviewers. Literature will be searched from the creation of the databases until 15th of July 2024. Risk of bias will be assessed using the appropriate tools. Results/findings: Preliminary Results: 2624 articles were identified for title and abstract screening, of these 59 studies were selected for full text review which is currently underway. Twenty-five articles are currently being extracted and assessed for risk of bias and a narrative synthesis will be reported. Translational impact/implications for future practice: Following through on recommendations from the Working Group, the scoping review will help to provide education to Grampians Mental Health and Well being Services around the current evidence base for crisis mental health assessments.