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Background <p>Timely access to psychiatric care remains a significant challenge in publicly funded mental health systems. In response, Nova Scotia launched the Rapid Access and Stabilization Program (RASP) to improve access, reduce wait times, and ease the burden on emergency mental health services.</p> Objectives <p>This study aimed to evaluate the impact of RASP on mental health service utilization by comparing one-year post-intake outcomes of RASP participants with a matched historical control group.</p> Methods <p>Using a controlled post-intake evaluation design approach, the study analyzed individuals enrolled in RASP between April 2023 and April 2024 and a Control group made up of a cohort of patients referred to the mental health and addiction program (MHAP) central intake services by primary health providers (PHP). Key outcomes included psychiatric inpatient admissions, Emergency Department (ED) visits, and mobile crisis service use. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics and the post-intake health services utilization variables were compared between RASP and the control group using an analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) after adjusting for baseline characteristics and potential confounders.</p> Results <p>RASP participants were slightly younger than controls (Mean age: 40.2 vs. 42.60 years). Although the RASP group showed lower mean utilization of several acute mental health services including the mean number of inpatient admissions (0.01 vs. 0.02), mean inpatient length of stay (0.25 days vs. 0.45 days), and mean number of mobile crisis calls (0.01 vs. 0.04) as well as proportion of unique patients admitted to psychiatric Inpatient units post-intake (0.07 vs. 1.60), differences were not statistically significant.</p> Conclusion <p>While findings did not reach statistical significance, trends suggest that RASP may help reduce acute service utilization. The control group showed nearly double the proportion of unique patients admitted to psychiatric inpatient units’ post-intake, the mean number of inpatient admissions and mean length of stay, and four times the mean number of crises calls. Further research with larger samples and extended follow-up is recommended to fully assess RASP’s effectiveness and inform future policy.</p> Clinical trial number <p>Not applicable.</p>

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Acute mental health services use: a comparative study of utilization patterns among Nova Scotia’s rapid access and stabilization program (RASP) participants and a control group

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年3月31日

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  • Medard K. Adu,
  • Samuel Obeng Nkrumah,
  • Belinda Agyapong,
  • Ngozi Ezeanozie,
  • Ejemai Eboreime,
  • Gloria Obuobi-Donkor,
  • Sanjana Sridharan,
  • Jason Morrison,
  • Bryanne Taylor,
  • Monica MacKinnon,
  • Mahmoud Awara,
  • Wozney Lori,
  • Vincent Israel Opoku Agyapong

摘要

Background

Timely access to psychiatric care remains a significant challenge in publicly funded mental health systems. In response, Nova Scotia launched the Rapid Access and Stabilization Program (RASP) to improve access, reduce wait times, and ease the burden on emergency mental health services.

Objectives

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of RASP on mental health service utilization by comparing one-year post-intake outcomes of RASP participants with a matched historical control group.

Methods

Using a controlled post-intake evaluation design approach, the study analyzed individuals enrolled in RASP between April 2023 and April 2024 and a Control group made up of a cohort of patients referred to the mental health and addiction program (MHAP) central intake services by primary health providers (PHP). Key outcomes included psychiatric inpatient admissions, Emergency Department (ED) visits, and mobile crisis service use. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics and the post-intake health services utilization variables were compared between RASP and the control group using an analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) after adjusting for baseline characteristics and potential confounders.

Results

RASP participants were slightly younger than controls (Mean age: 40.2 vs. 42.60 years). Although the RASP group showed lower mean utilization of several acute mental health services including the mean number of inpatient admissions (0.01 vs. 0.02), mean inpatient length of stay (0.25 days vs. 0.45 days), and mean number of mobile crisis calls (0.01 vs. 0.04) as well as proportion of unique patients admitted to psychiatric Inpatient units post-intake (0.07 vs. 1.60), differences were not statistically significant.

Conclusion

While findings did not reach statistical significance, trends suggest that RASP may help reduce acute service utilization. The control group showed nearly double the proportion of unique patients admitted to psychiatric inpatient units’ post-intake, the mean number of inpatient admissions and mean length of stay, and four times the mean number of crises calls. Further research with larger samples and extended follow-up is recommended to fully assess RASP’s effectiveness and inform future policy.

Clinical trial number

Not applicable.