Mental health telephone triage : managing psychiatric crisis and emergency

<b>PURPOSE:</b> The study aims to identify and articulate how mental health telephone triage (MHTT) clinicians manage psychiatric crisis and emergency via the telephone.<br /><br /><b>DESIGN AND METHODS:</b> An observational design was employed in the study. Wireless headsets were used to observe 197 occasions of MHTT. <br /><br /><b>FINDINGS</b><b>:</b> Clinicians use a range of practical strategies, therapeutic skills, and psychosocial interventions to manage psychiatric crises and emergencies via the telephone.<br /><br /><b>PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS:</b> 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.