Patient Flow and Reutilization of Crisis Services Within 30 Days in a Comprehensive Crisis System

What is it about?

Crisis services that provide care to people experiencing mental health or substance use related emergencies are rapidly expanding across the United States. This study examined how individuals flow through a comprehensive crisis system in Pima County, Arizona and found that most people accessed services via mobile crisis teams and specialized crisis facilities instead of the emergency department and inpatient units. This study also analyzed factors associated with reutilization following care at the Crisis Response Center in Tucson. Most people did not reutilize within 30 days. For those that did, the following factors demonstrated higher odds of 30-day reutilization: male sex, age group (35-44), Black race, homelessness, stimulant use, psychosis, mobile crisis starting point, and inpatient ending point. Factors that demonstrated lower odds of 30-day reutilization were depression or trauma diagnosis, involuntary legal status throughout the crisis visit, and conversion from involuntary to voluntary legal status during the crisis visit.

Featured Image