Assessment of routine laboratory screening of adult psychiatric patients presenting to an emergency centre in Cape Town
Date
2011-12
Authors
Crede, Andreas
Geduld, Heike
Wallis, Lee
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Health and Medical Publishing Group (HMPG)
Abstract
Managing mental health patients forms part of the workload in
emergency centres (ECs) throughout the Western Cape (WC),
which has an estimated overall lifetime prevalence of mental health
disorders of 39.4%. The Mental Health Care Act of 2002 requires
that patients presenting with a mental health disorder and requiring
involuntary or assisted admission be admitted to a designated
hospital for 72 hours for assessment and treatment. Their entry
point in most cases is via the EC, which places additional strain on
emergency facilities. The high incidence of mental health disorders
in adolescence, when many adult mental health conditions begin,
is expected to increase because of increasing social stressors such
as poverty, displacement and conflict in low-income areas.3 We can
therefore expect an increasing human and financial resources burden
on health care facilities.
Description
Article
The original publication is available at http://www.samj.org.za
The original publication is available at http://www.samj.org.za
Keywords
Routine laboratory screening, Psychiatric patients, Mental illness -- Diagnosis -- South Africa -- Cape Town, Emergency medical services -- South Africa -- Cape Town, Psychiatric emergencies -- South Africa -- Cape Town, Crisis intervention (Mental health services) -- South Africa -- Cape Town
Citation
Crede, A., Geduld, H. & Wallis, L. 2011. Assessment of routine laboratory screening of adult psychiatric patients presenting to an emergency centre in Cape Town. South African Medical Journal, 101(12):891-894.