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The emergency petition process in Maryland.
G Jayaram1, J S Janofsky, P J Fischer
1Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD.
The Bulletin of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law
|January 1, 1990
Summary
Maryland
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Public Health
- Mental Health Law
Background:
- Limited psychiatric literature exists on the emergency petition process.
- Maryland's Emergency Petition statute facilitates rapid evaluation for individuals with mental disorders who are violent or suicidal.
- Emergency petitions are a critical legal mechanism for initiating mental health treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the legal criteria adherence of emergency petitions in Maryland.
- To analyze the demographic characteristics of patients admitted via emergency petition.
- To assess the adequacy of emergency room records for these patients.
Main Methods:
- Review of emergency petition documents and demographic data.
- Analysis of emergency room records for patients admitted via emergency petition.
- Study conducted over a one-month period at a large county hospital in Prince George's County, Maryland.
Main Results:
- Emergency petitions met legal criteria in 94% of reviewed cases.
- Over half of patients evaluated were intoxicated on alcohol or illicit drugs.
- The majority of intoxicated patients were released after acute intoxication resolved, deemed no longer dangerous.
- Contrary to previous studies, most patients were affluent, insured, and employed.
Conclusions:
- Maryland's Emergency Petition statute is largely followed legally.
- Acute intoxication is a common factor leading to emergency petition evaluations.
- The demographic profile of patients under emergency petition differs from previous research, suggesting broader socioeconomic reach.
- Further research is needed to understand the implications of these findings for mental health service provision.