Systematic tracking of mental health acute care visits: A model of care for college students

Abstract

Objective: College students who receive an acute care visit (ACV) from an emergency or inpatient unit require mental health follow-up (MHF) to improve long-term outcomes. This study describes tracking ACVs and MHF, while identifying characteristics of multiple vs. single ACVs.

Participants: 191 students who received an ACV (N = 231) at one public university – enrollment approximately 39,000.

Methods: For two academic years (AYs), students were tracked and offered timely MHF. Demographics, clinical information, utilization patterns, and rates of MHF were analyzed.

Results: Primary reasons for an ACV were suicidal thinking (60.6%) and psychosis (13.9%). MHF improved between AYs (65.8% to 93.3%, X² = 27.48, p < .01). Multiple vs. single visits were more likely to present with self-injurious behavior and psychosis and received more intensive follow-up yet, had similar rates of MHF.

Conclusions: The primary reasons for an ACV – suicidal thinking and psychosis – underscore the importance of campus suicide prevention and psychosis-specific services.

Keywords:

• College student
• coordinated care
• emergency department
• mental health
• suicide prevention

Acknowledgments

We gratefully acknowledge the UCSD Joseph E. Edelman College Mental Health Program Fund, which generously supports ongoing psychotherapy services for undergraduate and graduate students. The authors acknowledge Dr. Shahrokh Golshan for his statistical recommendations.

Conflict of interest disclosure

The authors have no conflicts of interest to report. The authors confirm that the research presented in this article met the ethical guidelines, including adherence to the legal requirements, of the United States of America and received approval from the Institutional Review Board of UC San Diego.

Additional information

Funding

No funding was used to support this research and/or the preparation of the manuscript.