Abstract

Patients hospitalized after emergency care are at risk for later mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. The American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma standards for verification require Level I and II trauma centers to screen patients at high risk for mental health problems. This study aimed to develop and examine the performance of a novel mental health risk screen for hospitalized patients based on samples that reflect the diversity of the U.S. population.We studied patients admitted after emergency care to three hospitals that serve ethnically/racially and socioeconomically diverse populations. We assessed risk factors during hospitalization and mental health symptoms at follow-up. We conducted analyses to identify the most predictive risk factors, selected items to assess each risk, and determined the fewest items needed to predict mental health symptoms at follow-up. Analyses were conducted for the entire sample and within five ethnic/racial subgroups.Among 1,320 patients, 10 items accurately identified 75% of patients who later had elevated levels of mental health symptoms and 71% of those who did not. Screen performance was good to excellent within each of the ethnic/racial groups studied.The Hospital Mental Health Risk Screen accurately predicted mental health outcomes overall and within ethnic/racial subgroups. If performance is replicated in a new sample, the screen could be used to screen patients hospitalized after emergency care for mental health risk. Routine screening could increase health and mental health equity and foster preventive care research and implementation.

View details for DOI 10.1097/XCS.0000000000000904

View details for PubMedID 38038350