{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,1]],"date-time":"2026-03-01T13:18:14Z","timestamp":1772371094372,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":48,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"6","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,23]],"date-time":"2025-05-23T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1747958400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJERPH"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The increasing prevalence of emergency room (ER) visits for mental health concerns presents a significant challenge for healthcare systems. This study aimed to analyze the socio-demographic and clinical characteristics associated with frequent users of psychiatric consultations in the ER of Maggiore della Carit\u00e0 University Hospital in Novara, Italy. A retrospective observational study was conducted over a six-year period (2017\u20132022), including all psychiatric consultations recorded in a hospital database. Frequent users were defined as individuals undergoing at least three psychiatric consultations in the ER within a year. Univariable and multivariable logistic models were employed to identify significant socio-demographic and clinical predictors of frequent use. Of the 1565 individuals who received psychiatric consultations in the ER, 92 (5.88%) were identified as frequent users. Factors associated with higher ER utilization included being unmarried (aOR 1.35, 95% CI 1.02\u20131.79), younger age (aOR 1.32, 95% CI 1.02\u20131.72), homelessness, diagnosis of schizophrenia, substance use disorder (aOR 1.49, 95% CI 1.06\u20132.09), and ongoing psychopharmacological treatment (aOR 1.56, 95% CI 1.12\u20132.18). These findings highlight the need for targeted interventions to improve care continuity and community-based support for individuals at risk of frequent ER visits for psychiatric reasons.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph22060828","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,23]],"date-time":"2025-05-23T12:24:18Z","timestamp":1748003058000},"page":"828","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Frequent Users in Psychiatric Consultations: A 6-Year Retrospective Study in the Emergency Department"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"22","author":[{"given":"Carla Maria","family":"Gramaglia","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Translational Medicine, University of Eastern Piedmont, Via Solaroli, 17, 28100 Novara, Italy"},{"name":"Psychiatry Unit Maggiore della Carit\u00e0 University Hospital, Corso Mazzini, 18, 28100 Novara, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9255-5967","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Eleonora","family":"Gambaro","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Translational Medicine, University of Eastern Piedmont, Via Solaroli, 17, 28100 Novara, Italy"},{"name":"Psychiatry Unit Maggiore della Carit\u00e0 University Hospital, Corso Mazzini, 18, 28100 Novara, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Alessandro","family":"Feggi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Translational Medicine, University of Eastern Piedmont, Via Solaroli, 17, 28100 Novara, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Amalia","family":"Jona","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Psychiatry Unit Maggiore della Carit\u00e0 University Hospital, Corso Mazzini, 18, 28100 Novara, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Valentina","family":"Zanoli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Psychiatry Unit Maggiore della Carit\u00e0 University Hospital, Corso Mazzini, 18, 28100 Novara, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Francesco","family":"Gavelli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Emergency Medicine Unit, Maggiore della Carit\u00e0 University Hospital, Corso Mazzini, 18, 28100 Novara, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7611-8345","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Gian Carlo","family":"Avanzi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Emergency Medicine Unit, Maggiore della Carit\u00e0 University Hospital, Corso Mazzini, 18, 28100 Novara, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4929-3759","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Daniela","family":"Ferrante","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Unit of Medical Statistics, Department of Translational Medicine, University of Eastern Piedmont, Via Solaroli, 17, 28100 Novara, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0003-3018-3506","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Silviana Maria","family":"Patratanu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Eastern Piedmont, Via Ettore Perrone, 18, 28100 Novara, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0002-3804-6592","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Erica","family":"Valerio","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Eastern Piedmont, Via Ettore Perrone, 18, 28100 Novara, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Patrizia","family":"Zeppegno","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Translational Medicine, University of Eastern Piedmont, Via Solaroli, 17, 28100 Novara, Italy"},{"name":"Psychiatry Unit Maggiore della Carit\u00e0 University Hospital, Corso Mazzini, 18, 28100 Novara, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,23]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e033351","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjopen-2019-033351","article-title":"Experience of being a frequent user of primary care and emergency department services: A qualitative systematic review and thematic synthesis","volume":"10","author":"Brodeur","year":"2020","journal-title":"BMJ Open"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"13","DOI":"10.1186\/s12245-025-00810-w","article-title":"Trends in psychiatric emergency visits: Insights from France\u2019s largest psychiatric emergency department","volume":"18","author":"Akkaoui","year":"2025","journal-title":"Int. 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