Factors Affecting Emergency Department Mental Health Visits

Author

Logan Daul, University of South DakotaFollow

Date of Award

Spring 5-9-2022

Document Type

Honors Thesis

Department/Major

Business

First Advisor

Matthew Heard

Second Advisor

Carole South-Winter

Third Advisor

Mark Yockey

Keywords

emergency, mental health, substance abuse, emergency department

Subject Categories

Emergency Medicine | Health and Medical Administration | Health Services Administration | Health Services Research | Other Mental and Social Health | Other Public Health | Psychiatric and Mental Health | Psychiatry

Abstract

Research has shown that current quantities of emergency department visits for mental health and substance use are increasing at a startling rate. These increases are acknowledged in quantitative studies and some important information can be gathered from qualitative studies however determining specific causes for these emergent visits are difficult. The purpose of this study is to derive findings from statistical analyses focusing on quantities of emergency department visits for mental health and substance use disorders. Comparisons will be drawn at the state level between the per capita quantity of emergency department visits and poverty rate, climate, psychiatric healthcare infrastructure, urban vs. rural population, and the number of individuals seeking outpatient psychiatric care. Data analysis is performed using a least squares regression analysis which determines the strength of the relationship between two factors. The results are a mixture of significant and insignificant findings; the most interesting is the positive relationship between emergent mental health and substance use visits when compared with and the percent of the state deemed rural by the U.S. census bureau. Meaning that the greater percentage of the state is deemed rural, the greater amount of per capita mental health and substance use emergencies.

Comments

Keywords: Mental health, Emergency department, Substance abuse

Recommended Citation

Daul, Logan, "Factors Affecting Emergency Department Mental Health Visits" (2022). Honors Thesis. 267.
https://red.library.usd.edu/honors-thesis/267