Demographic and Clinical Characteristics of Mental Health Crisis Line Callers Who Were Transferred to 911
Recommended Citation
Goldman ML, Elser A, Yeh HH, McDaniel M, Ma L, Ahmedani BK, and Foster AA. Demographic and Clinical Characteristics of Mental Health Crisis Line Callers Who Were Transferred to 911. Psychiatr Serv 2025.
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-10-2025
Publication Title
Psychiatric services (Washington, D.C.)
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to describe the characteristics of callers to a statewide mental health crisis line who were transferred to 911 (active rescue).
METHODS: This retrospective cohort study examined mental health crisis line calls transferred to active rescue (N=3,538 calls; N=3,132 unique callers) from the Georgia Crisis and Access Line (2016-2018). Chi-square analyses and t tests were used to examine descriptive differences between caller characteristics and call features.
RESULTS: Of crisis line callers with a contact that resulted in active rescue, 53% were male, and 53% were Black. Youth callers represented 11% of all rescue calls; 74% of these callers had Medicaid. Active rescue most frequently occurred because of a danger to oneself (58%). Reasons for active rescue differed by race (p<0.001).
CONCLUSIONS: Most crisis calls resulting in active rescue occurred because of concern about self-harm. Demographic differences by reason for active rescue reveal gaps in the understanding of crisis care delivery.
PubMed ID
39789956
ePublication
ePub ahead of print
First Page
20240050
Last Page
20240050
