In any given year, about 1 in 4 Americans—almost 60 million individuals—experience a behavioral health issue according to Mental Health America (MHA) statistics. As a result, we are seeing a spike in the volume of those in a mental health crisis arriving at hospital emergency departments, from mental illness or substance use disorders. About half of all children who come to an ED with a mental health issue end up boarding in the ED due to a lack of inpatient beds, according to data.
Recent data suggests that more than half of adults with a mental illness (about 28 million) did not receive treatment. Stand-alone psychiatric EDs may work for a hospital campus, but not every community has such extensive health infrastructure. Thus, crisis stabilization centers have a key role to play in addressing this rise in mental health crises at the point of need.
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