A retrospective analysis of personality disorder presentations in a Canadian university-affiliated hospital’s emergency department

Background Individuals with personality disorders often have extensive involvement with healthcare services including frequent utilisation of emergency departments. Aims The aim of this study was to identify factors associated with emergency department presentations by individuals with personality disorders. Method A 12-month retrospective data analysis of all mental-health-related emergency department visits was performed. Age, gender, time and season of presentation, length of stay, mode of arrival and discharge arrangements for individuals with personality disorders were compared to individuals with other psychiatric diagnoses. Results There were 336 visits by individuals with personality disorders and 5290 visits by individuals with other psychiatric diagnoses. Individuals with personality disorders were significantly more likely to be female, young adults, brought in by police, arrive in the evening, discharged home and have a longer median length of stay. Conclusion Knowing what factors are associated with emergency department presentations by individuals with personality disorders can help ensure that appropriately trained support staff are available. Declaration of interest None. Copyright and usage © The Royal College of Psychiatrists 2016. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Non-Commercial, No Derivatives (CC BY-NC-ND) license.