Mental health short stay units in Australia: a scoping review

ObjectiveMental Health Short Stay Units (MHSSUs) have emerged across Australian emergency departments as an alternative pathway for managing acute psychiatric and substance-related crises. This scoping review aimed to systematically map and synthesise the characteristics, patient populations, and reported outcomes of MHSSUs in Australian health systems.MethodsFollowing Joanna Briggs Institute protocols and PRISMA-ScR guidelines, systematic searches were conducted in Medline, PsycINFO, Embase, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and Google Scholar. Eligible studies were qualitative or quantitative, published in English within the past 20 years. Extracted data included unit models, patient demographics, clinical presentations, and service outcomes.Results15 studies were included, covering a range of unit types such as Psychiatric Emergency Care Centres (PECC), Psychiatric Assessment and Planning Units (PAPU), Behavioural Assessment Units (BAU), Short-Stay Units/Pathways (SSU/SSP), Mental Health Alcohol and Other Drugs Hubs (MHAOD), and the Missenden Assessment Unit (MAU). These units typically provide short admissions (≤72 h) for medically stable patients. Descriptive findings suggested potential improvements in emergency department flow and reduced use of restrictive practices. However, variations in unit design, patient populations, and outcome measures limited comparability across studies.ConclusionsThis review provides a descriptive synthesis of MHSSUs in Australia and highlights variation in service models and patient cohorts. The current evidence base is constrained by small study numbers, observational designs, inconsistent reporting, and limited qualitative data. Consequently, while MHSSUs may offer promising alternatives to conventional emergency pathways, stronger and more standardised research is required to determine their clinical and operational effectiveness.