Emergency Mental Health

Emergency Mental Health is a professionally accredited, evidence-based course developed by HealthCert Education to support general practitioners in managing acute mental health presentations confidently and competently. With mental health-related emergency department visits constituting around 3% of all ED presentations in Australia, the GP’s role is vital in early recognition, risk assessment, and patient safety. Delivered by Dr. Evangelia (Valia) Francis, this self-paced course blends educational rigor with practical relevance and includes case discussions, recommended readings, and two online assessments. Below is a breakdown of each unit:

Unit 1: Introduction to the Mental State Assessment of the Acutely Unwell Patient
This unit introduces the rising prevalence of acute mental health disorders and the GP’s frontline role in triage and early intervention. Clinicians are guided through the “ABCD” mental state assessment—Appearance and Affect, Behaviour, Conversation, and Drugs/Alcohol use—along with the mental health triage scale. Emphasis is placed on rapid safety assessments, including suicide risk, aggression, and potential for absconding, as well as differentiating organic from psychiatric illness.

Unit 2: The Formal Mental Health Assessment of the Acutely Unwell Patient
Building on initial evaluations, this unit dives deeper into comprehensive assessments. It covers environmental setup, clinician safety, and structured approaches to psychiatric history, mood, delusions, hallucinations, cognitive testing, and risk assessment. The unit highlights both direct and observational techniques, the importance of rapport-building, and practical psychological strategies to manage acute presentations. Common pitfalls in communication are also addressed.

Unit 3: Suicidality and Deliberate Self-Harm
This module addresses one of the most confronting aspects of emergency mental health—suicide risk. It explores prevalence, contributing factors, and the limitations of risk prediction. Learners are introduced to the diathesis-stress model and guided through empathetic assessment, evidence-based prevention strategies, and crisis management planning. Self-harm is also examined in depth, including its various motivations and distinctions from other behaviors. Practical frameworks for supporting at-risk individuals are provided.

Unit 4: Acute Psychosis
Psychosis, while rare in general practice, presents significant challenges. This unit details the recognition and initial management of psychosis, including distinguishing between psychiatric, substance-induced, and organic causes. Emphasis is placed on safety, de-escalation, engagement strategies, and assessment of consent capacity. Clinicians are taught how to identify key symptoms like delusions and hallucinations, and to make informed decisions about appropriate treatment pathways, whether inpatient or community-based.

Unit 5: Mental Health and the Law
The final unit explores Australian mental health legislation and its application in emergency contexts. It discusses jurisdictional variations, criteria for involuntary admission, and the roles of clinicians and police. Topics include legal definitions of mental illness, patient rights, the use of sedation and restraint, and how to assess decision-making capacity. The unit prepares GPs to navigate legal responsibilities with confidence while prioritizing patient care and safety.