RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 A Descriptive Study of Emergency Admissions to Fawiew State Hospital
JF Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law Online
JO J Am Acad Psychiatry Law
FD American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law
SP 237
OP 245
VO 24
IS 2
A1 Fox, Frances
A1 Ruby, J. Richard
A1 Siska, Kathylene
A1 Singer, Terry
YR 1996
UL http://jaapl.org/content/24/2/237.abstract
AB The prison population in the United States has grown steadily in the past 15 years. Farview State Hospital in Waymart, Pennsylvania annually provides service to approximately 350 to 400 inmates. This is less than 10 percent of the potential need for psychiatric treatment for the state. Emergency psychiatric admissions are a burden on the mental health system, as these inmates are given priority. This descriptive study identified profiles of emergency admissions for the period of July 1, 1990 to June 30, 1993. During this time, 86 emergency admissions occurred. Differences between state correctional and local county prison inmate admissions are described. The short stays of emergency admissions indicate that Farview is achieving its goal of stabilization of the mentally disordered inmate for return to the correctional facility. More research needs to be done to compare emergency and regular admissions for both diagnosis and length of stay.