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Police referrals at the psychiatric emergency service in T aiwan
Author(s) -
Wang JenPang,
Wu ChiaYi,
Chiu ChihChiang,
Yang TsuHui,
Liu TzongHsien,
Chou Pesus
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
asia‐pacific psychiatry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.654
H-Index - 21
eISSN - 1758-5872
pISSN - 1758-5864
DOI - 10.1111/appy.12195
Subject(s) - referral , triage , psychiatry , medicine , emergency department , mental health , cohort , mental illness , demographics , psychiatric hospital , family medicine , demography , sociology
Abstract Introduction The police are the frontline workers in crisis situations involving patients with severe mental illness and act as a primary referral source for psychiatric emergency services ( PES ) in the community. The aims of this study were to investigate the distribution and characteristics of police referral among psychiatric patients in T aiwan. Methods The study cohort consisted of patients who visited the PES of T aipei C ity P sychiatric C enter from J anuary 2009 to D ecember 2010. The associations between the factors of demographics, clinical characteristics, and psychiatric service utilization and police referral were evaluated. Results Among the 7656 psychiatric emergency visits, 3029 (39.6%) were referred by the police. These patients referred by police were more likely to be male and aged between 30 to 49 years. Clinical factors related to police referrals including a higher triage assessment level, chief problems included violence, disturbance, substance use, less anxiety, and a diagnosis of unspecified psychosis. The triage assessment level and chief problems assessed by nurses were major predictors. These patients tended to be referred from the catchment area and during the nighttime shift, were discharged during the daytime shift, and stayed longer in the PES . Disposition arrangements such as discharge against medical advice and involuntary admission were also associated with police referrals. Discussion Patients referred by the police to the PES were those with more severe psychiatric problems and illnesses assessed by psychiatric nurses and psychiatrists. They tended to have more complex service utilization at the PES .