Area hospital ERs are seeing an influx of patients with mental health illnesses, an issue experts say is exacerbated by the economy and resulting in more uncompensated care.

Butler County residents made nearly 155,000 visits last year to emergency departments of hospitals that are members of the Greater Cincinnati Health Council. Of those visits, 19,369 were for assistance with mental health issues, according to the council.

Dr. Quinton Moss, medical director for the behavioral health unit at Fort Hamilton, joined the hospital before the recession started. Recently, he’s seen more patients who’ve lost their jobs and been unable to cope due to the “substantial stress” of their situation coupled with an inability to afford care or medication.

“I think this recession and the struggles of unemployment has placed people in a position where their illness is becoming systematic,” Moss said. “People are unable to maintain the care they need for their illness.”

Even people with insurance who are finding themselves in need of mental health are sometimes having to foot the bill for care, said Lisa Gossett, chief nursing officer for Atrium.

“The same plan that covers you for a heart attack is not the same as the one that covers you for mental illness. Not all insurance plans pick it up.”

What goes into the treatment of mental health also requires much more than ailments such as the removal of a tumor, Gossett said. For many, it’s a treatment that will last a lifetime and will require medication, out-patient sessions and therapy.

“There is such a stigma that surrounds mental illness,” Gossett said. “There is a whole different level of assessment for people with a mental health need and a whole other level of compassion you have to have.”

What happens next?

Unlike some specialized facilities, non-profit hospitals such as Fort Hamilton and Atrium accept all patients, regardless of their ability to pay. While the average length of stay is less than one week for mental health patients, those that require more specialized care will be kept longer at both facilities, according to hospital staff.

Treatment relies heavily on the assessment and care of the patient by a psychiatrist, who is able to medically distinguish mental and physical ailments and prescribe medication. Moss said on-staff psychiatrists are often in short supply.

In most cases, Gossett said Atrium will try to treat mental health issues in an out-patient setting because “it’s just a better environment for them.”

“There is no cut-off for treatment,” Moss said. “It benefits the patient and the hospital and the community not at all to receive incomplete treatment. We want to treat patients so they can move forward with their lives.”

Contact this reporter at (513) 705-2843 or jheffner@coxohio.com.