Severe mental health issues tied to higher ER use

Patients with a mental health condition are more likely to use the ER than the general population — and a new study of California hospital data from 2012 to 2014 teases out the role that the severity of a condition might play. The researchers found mild mental health diagnoses were associated with a 3 percent increase in ER use, while moderate and severe diagnoses were associated with 12 and 23 percent increases in ER use, respectively. And while the authors say their findings are likely relevant in other parts of the country, the study is particularly pertinent for California, where the state’s Medicaid program has made big changes to how it delivers mental health care.