07.18.2023
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Learn MoreNote: For the purpose of this article, the author follows National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) guidance by using the terms "mental health condition" and "mental illness" interchangeably.
Millions of people in the United States are impacted by mental illness each year. Mental illness is defined by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) as a "condition that affects a person's thinking, feeling or mood" resulting from a dysfunction in the brain. Like any emergency involving a physical condition such as a stroke or heart attack, a mental health crisis requires prompt intervention.
Mental illness is often unpredictable. Patients diagnosed with a mental illness or their loved ones may not be prepared or have enough knowledge to recognize the warning signs of a crisis before it occurs. Unfortunately, mental health crises often manifest as disturbances or substance abuse by the person in crisis. Law enforcement officers without appropriate mental health training may be the first to encounter them, leading to additional trauma for the patient.
NAMI states that approximately 1 in 5 adults experiences mental illness in a given year. As a result, healthcare organizations regularly encounter individuals experiencing a mental health crisis in both healthcare facility and physician clinic settings. Healthcare facilities and physician clinics should be prepared to deal with such crises by educating staff, preparing them to recognize and respond to mental illness appropriately. Actions healthcare organizations can take include:
Want more information about behavioral health staff training? Visit our Behavioral Health Toolkit here.
07.18.2023
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