Mental health
Mental health services provided in emergency departments
280,176 mental health-related presentations
to public ED's in 2021–22 which was 3% of all presentations.
77% of these were urgent or semi-urgent
Urgent (seen within 30 minutes) Semi-urgent (seen within 60 minutes)
60% seen on time
based on triage status compared with 67% if all ED presentations
Mental health dashboard showing mental health related emergency department activity summary. It shows mental health presentations per 10,000 population over selected year, primary diagnosis driving an increase in mental health presentations and an activity trend between 2004-05 and 2021-22.
Horizontal bar chart showing the rate (per 10,000 population specific) of mental health-related emergency department presentations in public hospitals by patient demographics in 2021–22. Patients 18–24 years had the highest rate of mental health-related ED presentations at 198, followed by 85 years and over (194), 25–34 (150), 12–17 (147), 35–44 (139), 45–54 (118), 75–84 (96), 55–64 (76), 65–74 (56), and 0–11 (32). Males presented at a similar rate to females (108 and 109 respectively). Indigenous Australians presented at a higher rate than non-Indigenous Australians (443 and 95 respectively). The rate increased with increased remoteness area; 96 per 10,000 in Major cities, 115 in Inner regional areas, 126 in Outer regional areas and 218 in Remote and Very remote areas. Mental health-related presentations decreased with increasing socioeconomic quintile with 126 presentations per 10,000 for the most disadvantaged quintile, followed by 121, 106, 93 and 76 for the least disadvantaged quintile. Refer to Table ED.8.
Figure ED.2, horizontal bar chart showing mental health-related emergency department presentations in public hospitals by principal diagnosis in 2021–22. The majority of presentations were for neurotic, stress-related and somatoform disorders (27%) followed by mental and behavioural disorders due to psychoactive substance use (25%). Schizophrenia, schizotypal and delusional disorders made up 12% of presentations; Mental disorder, not otherwise specified 10%; organic, including symptomatic, mental disorders 10%; Mood (affective) disorders 9%; behavioural and emotional disorders with onset usually occurring in childhood and adolescence 3%; disorders of adult personality and behaviour 2%; behavioural syndromes associated with physiological disturbances and physical factors 2%; and disorders of psychological development >1%.
Figure ED.2.1, horizontal bar chart showing mental health-related emergency department, by states and territories and principal diagnosis. Victoria, Tasmania and Northern Territory highest ED mental health related presentations were for mental and behavioural disorders due to psychoactive substance use 27%, 21% and 55% respectively). New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia and Australian Capital Territory highest ED mental health related presentations were for neurotic, stress-related and somatoform disorders (26%, 32%, 36%, 26% and 23% respectively).
Figure ED.3, vertical bar chart showing the per cent of mental health-related ED presentations in public hospitals by triage category. In 2021–22, ED presentations that were Urgent had the highest rate (52%), followed by Semi-urgent (25%), Emergency (18%), Non-urgent (3%), and Resuscitation (1%). Refer to Table ED.6.
Figure ED.3.1, horizontal bar chart showing mental health-related ED presentations by triage category and states and territories in 2021–22. The highest proportion of presentations for Emergency were in Victoria and Northern Territory (both 23%), Non-urgent were in the Australian Capital Territory (5%), Resuscitation in Victoria, South Australia and the Northern Territory (all at 2%), Semi-urgent in the Australian Capital Territory (30%) and Urgent in Queensland (57%). Refer to Table ED.5.
Figure ED.3.2, line chart showing mental health-related ED presentations by states and territories or triage category from 2004–05 to 2021–22. Urgent triage had a higher number of ED presentations, followed by Semi-urgent, Emergency, Non-urgent and Resuscitation across the whole time period. Refer to Table ED.1 and Table ED.5.
Figure ED.4.1, map format presenting mental health-related ED presentations by wait time (minutes) and length of stay (hours) for the median and 90th percentile patient by State and Territory, 2021–22. For wait times 50% of patients were seen within 54 minutes and 90%of patients were seen within 224 minutes in all states and territories.
For length of stay, 50% of patients who presented stayed in the ED for up to 5 hours in Tas, ACT, SA, and, 4 hours in Vic, WA, NSW, NT, and Qld. Across Australia 50% of patients stayed up to 4 hours 30 minutes in the ED. 90% of patients who presented to ED 23 hours in Tas, 21 hours in SA, 17 hours in Vic, and WA, 16 hours in the NT,15 ACT, and NSW, and 12 hours 2 minutes in Qld. Across Australia 90% of patients stayed up to 16 hours 2 minutes
Figure ED.4.2, chart presenting mental health-related ED presentations by day of week and time of presentation by state and territories, 2021–22. All states and territories except the NT had the highest proportion of daily presentations between 12pm and 3:59pm on a weekday. The NT had the highest proportion of daily presentations between 4pm and 7:59pm on Mondays and between 8pm and 11:59pm on Thursdays (30%) and Thursday from 12pm to 3:59pm (30%) and the NT on Monday from 4pm to 7:59pm (27%).
Figure ED.4.3, chart presenting proportion of mental health-related ED presentations by age group and week of presentation day of week and time of presentation by state and territories, 2021–22. In Australia from 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2022, the highest proportion of ED presentations were for patients aged 25–44, followed by 45–64, 12–24, 65 and over and 0–11 years.
