Effects of Psychiatric Inpatient or Residential Care on Service Use After Psychiatric Emergency Department Boarding.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Children and adolescents with mental health concerns commonly board in emergency departments (EDs), but not all receive psychiatric inpatient or residential care. The authors estimated the impact of admission to psychiatric inpatient or residential programs versus ED discharge on service utilization after multiple days in the ED.

Methods

The authors conducted a retrospective analysis of 2016-2019 Medicaid claims for youths ages 5-17 years across Massachusetts with mental health-related ED visits and 2-7 midnights in the ED. Admitted and discharged youths were matched on demographic characteristics, diagnostic group, day, month, and year of ED arrival, previous service utilization, and boarding length. Outcomes included mental health-related ED visits, psychiatric i

SUBMITTER: Overhage LN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12776688 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature