One in seven people who present to EDs
in England is thought to have a mental health
problem (Andalo 2004). Up to 5% of these people
have psychiatric disorders, and between 20% and
30% more present with physical and psychiatric
disorders (Andalo 2004).
This article concerns ED and other staff who
work with patients with mental health needs.
It draws on the results of a literature review for
which the authors used the terms ‘patients’,
‘mental health needs’ and ‘accident and emergency’
to search the Medline and CINAHL databases
to gather information on staff education, the
use of mental health triage or liaison staff and
nurse-patient relationships. The authors also
gathered data on on ED staff attitudes to patients
with mental health issues, including those
who deliberately self-harm or attempt suicide.
However, the authors found no evidence of
research on the role of ED multidisciplinary teams
(MDTs) in the assessment and care of patients
with mental health needs.