Mental health telephone triage: managing psychiatric crisis and emergency.

Purpose: The study aims to identify and articulate how mental health telephone triage (MHTT) clinicians manage psychiatric crisis and emergency via the telephone.

Design And Methods: An observational design was employed in the study. Wireless headsets were used to observe 197 occasions of MHTT.

Findings: Clinicians use a range of practical strategies, therapeutic skills, and psychosocial interventions to manage psychiatric crises and emergencies via the telephone.

Practice Implications: The evidence base for managing psychiatric crisis/emergency in MHTT is minimal. These findings contribute to the MHTT knowledge base and provide evidence-based strategies for high-quality emergency mental health care.