title: Examining Mental Health Act usage in an urban emergency department.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In this study we aimed to examine the characteristics of Mental Health Act (MHA) usage in the Emergency Department (ED) of an urban teaching hospital in Sydney.
  
  
  METHODS
  All MHA certificates written on individuals in the ED over a 12-week period in 2013 were collected. The medical record of each individual was reviewed by a member of the research team using an audit tool developed for the study. Any uncertainty over individual cases was addressed through research team consensus.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 172 MHA certificates were collected; 67 were written by police, 45 by ambulance, 54 by medical officers and three by accredited persons. Three magistrate orders for assessment were also received. Seventy percent of police and 60% of ambulance MHA certificates did not result in admission. Over a third were revoked by ED physicians. Forty-five people (32.4%) who presented voluntarily were subsequently detained.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Police and ambulance MHA certification was a poor predictor of admission. Least restrictive measures were predominantly the outcome. Delegating ED physicians with authorised medical officer status assisted in facilitating this process. Formalised education and training on the principles and practicalities of MHA legislation should be ongoing for all professionals involved.
authors.affiliation: Transitional Nurse Practitioner, Mental Health Liaison, Emergency Department, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia kate.derrick@sswahs.nsw.gov.au.
authors.forename: Kate
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Derrick
authors.affiliation: Clinical Nurse Specialist, Mental Health Liaison, Emergency Department, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Justin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chia
authors.affiliation: Clinical Nurse Specialist, Mental Health Liaison, Emergency Department Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: O'Donovan
authors.affiliation: Clinical Nurse Specialist, Mental Health Liaison, Emergency Department Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Emerton
authors.affiliation: Clinical Nurse Consultant, Professor Marie Bashir Centre, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Marika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hamlyn
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor and Nurse Practitioner, University of Sydney and; Sydney Local Health District, Camperdown, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Timothy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wand
mesh_terms: D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006786:Hospitals, Urban / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008603:Mental Health / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009517:New South Wales; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
keywords: Emergency Departments; Mental Health Act; least restrictive care; mental health law