A review of technological interventions to support mental and behavioral health patients and staff in Emergency Departments

Mental and behavioural health (MBH)-related visits account for a substantial portion of emergency department (ED) care. EDs have increasingly adopted technological interventions to support MBH patients and staff. This review examined ED-based technological interventions and their impact on patient safety and quality of care for MBH populations. An initial search on six databases led to identification of 37,432 articles and final selection of 34 peer-reviewed articles on technology interventions. Key findings indicate that screening interventions effectively identify underlying drug and alcohol use, depression, and suicidal ideation in patients presenting to the ED with non-psychiatric complaints; remote psychiatry consultations improve access to mental health care; crisis management intervention programs are well-accepted by patients while waiting in the ED; and documentation interventions enhance communication with providers, and LLMs show strong potential in identifying psychiatric indicators. This review delineates key implications, implementation challenges, and future research directions for ED MBH care delivery.