title: Mental health telephone triage: managing psychiatric crisis and emergency.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The study aims to identify and articulate how mental health telephone triage (MHTT) clinicians manage psychiatric crisis and emergency via the telephone.
  
  
  METHODS
  An observational design was employed in the study. Wireless headsets were used to observe 197 occasions of MHTT.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Clinicians use a range of practical strategies, therapeutic skills, and psychosocial interventions to manage psychiatric crises and emergencies via the telephone.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The evidence base for managing psychiatric crisis/emergency in MHTT is minimal. These findings contribute to the MHTT knowledge base and provide evidence-based strategies for high-quality emergency mental health care.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing and Midwifery, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia. natisha.sands@deakin.edu.au
authors.forename: Natisha
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sands
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Elsom
authors.forename: Elijah
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Marangu
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Keppich-Arnold
authors.forename: Kathryn
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Henderson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003142:Communication; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D003419:Crisis Intervention / Q000379:methods*; D004630:Emergencies; D005260:Female; D006786:Hospitals, Urban; D015277:Hotlines; D006801:Humans; D033183:Interdisciplinary Communication; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000451:nursing*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009730:Nursing Assessment; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012944:Social Support; D014218:Triage / Q000379:methods*; D014739:Victoria