Toward a model of psychological triage: who will most need assistance?

While well developed within physical medicine, the concept of triage within emergency mental health is ill-defined. The purpose of this paper is to offer one formulation and a rudimentary set of guidelines for the process of psychological triage for individuals in crisis. These recommendations are unique in that they reflect an integration of clinical empiricism and applied physiological concepts. It is hoped that such an initiative will assist in the most efficient and effective allocation of mental health resources in acute crises, traumas, disasters, and even combat-related situations.