TY - JOUR
AU - A. E. Ahmed
AU - R. A. Hakami
AU - A. M. Alrajhi
AU - B. A. Buhulaigah
AU - L. M. Damanhouri
AU - W. A. Majrashi
AU - H. H. Alhamyani
AU - L. A. Alamer
AU - A. H. Alanazi
AU - F. H. Fageehi
A1 - 
AB - Primary care-based mental health management has been proposed as a strategy to reduce preventable psychiatric crises and lessen reliance on emergency departments, yet its impact remains uncertain across different populations and health systems. This review synthesized evidence from observational and quasi-experimental studies evaluating integrated, collaborative, or behavioral health home interventions within primary care and their association with emergency psychiatric utilization. Nine eligible studies were identified from a comprehensive search, most involving co-located or integrated behavioral health services aimed at improving continuity and outpatient engagement. Overall, interventions demonstrated consistent trends toward fewer psychiatric emergency visits, enhanced follow-up care, and better support for individuals with serious mental illness, although effect sizes varied and several studies were limited by methodological weaknesses such as confounding and selection bias. Two higher-quality studies showed moderate reductions in all-cause and psychiatric emergency use, while others reported mixed or modest effects. Collectively, the findings suggest that integrated primary care mental health approaches hold promise for reducing emergency presentations, but stronger, well-controlled research is needed to clarify which models yield the most meaningful and sustained reductions in acute care utilization.
AD - Community Medicine, Jazan University, Jazan, SAU.; College of Medicine, Jazan University, Jazan, SAU.; College of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Arabian Gulf University, Manama, SAU.; College of Medicine and Surgery, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, SAU.; College of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, SAU.; College of Medicine, Taif University, Taif, SAU.; General Practice, King Faisal University, Al-Hassa, SAU.; General Practice, University of Tabuk, Tabuk, SAU.; General Practice, Jazan University, Jazan, SAU.
AN - 41556030
BT - Cureus
C5 - Healthcare Disparities
CP - 12
DA - Dec
DO - 10.7759/cureus.99601
DP - NLM
ET - 20251219
IS - 12
JF - Cureus
LA - eng
N2 - Primary care-based mental health management has been proposed as a strategy to reduce preventable psychiatric crises and lessen reliance on emergency departments, yet its impact remains uncertain across different populations and health systems. This review synthesized evidence from observational and quasi-experimental studies evaluating integrated, collaborative, or behavioral health home interventions within primary care and their association with emergency psychiatric utilization. Nine eligible studies were identified from a comprehensive search, most involving co-located or integrated behavioral health services aimed at improving continuity and outpatient engagement. Overall, interventions demonstrated consistent trends toward fewer psychiatric emergency visits, enhanced follow-up care, and better support for individuals with serious mental illness, although effect sizes varied and several studies were limited by methodological weaknesses such as confounding and selection bias. Two higher-quality studies showed moderate reductions in all-cause and psychiatric emergency use, while others reported mixed or modest effects. Collectively, the findings suggest that integrated primary care mental health approaches hold promise for reducing emergency presentations, but stronger, well-controlled research is needed to clarify which models yield the most meaningful and sustained reductions in acute care utilization.
PY - 2025
SN - 2168-8184 (Print); 2168-8184
SP - e99601
ST - Impact of Primary Care Mental Health Management on Emergency Psychiatric Presentations: A Systematic Review
T1 - Impact of Primary Care Mental Health Management on Emergency Psychiatric Presentations: A Systematic Review
T2 - Cureus
TI - Impact of Primary Care Mental Health Management on Emergency Psychiatric Presentations: A Systematic Review
U1 - Healthcare Disparities
U3 - 10.7759/cureus.99601
VL - 17
VO - 2168-8184 (Print); 2168-8184
Y1 - 2025
ER -