What Does High Acuity Mental Health Mean?

Mental health symptoms and conditions vary in severity, with the most serious and urgent cases referred to as "high acuity" mental health conditions.

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There’s a wide spectrum of types and severity of mental health symptoms and conditions that people can experience — some are less serious, and others are more urgent. Just as people may face serious, acute physical health conditions, the same can be true for mental health conditions. In the medical field, these severe and complex conditions are known as “high acuity” mental health conditions. 

Someone with a high acuity condition usually requires immediate and specialized care to ensure safety and well-being. As such, recognizing the signs of high acuity mental health issues is crucial for timely intervention and support. Below, we will delve into how acuity levels are used in the medical field and what you need to know about high acuity mental health.

How is patient acuity used in the medical field?

The phrase “patient acuity” refers to how severe and acutely threatening a person’s condition is, whether regarding their physical, mental, or behavioral health. Determining a patient’s acuity level will help medical or mental health professionals decide what level and intensity of care somebody needs and how urgently they need it. Here’s the difference between high acuity and low acuity conditions.

High acuity conditions

If a patient is experiencing a high acuity mental health crisis, it means their condition is severe and potentially dangerous. High acuity patients may have comorbid conditions, be at a high risk of complications, or experience an acute flare-up of a preexisting chronic condition. This complexity requires comprehensive and critical care to ensure the patient’s health and safety, as well as the safety of others. High acuity patients also often need closer monitoring, more frequent interventions, and specialized treatment to stabilize their condition and keep them safe.

For example, consider a teen who abuses substances, self-harms, and has suicidal thoughts. This teen is a high acuity patient due to the dangerous nature of substance abuse, the risk of overdose, the potential for serious injury from self-harm, and the imminent threat of suicide. This person requires immediate intervention to ensure their safety and well-being. If you’re experiencing suicidal thoughts or are in danger of harming yourself, this is a mental health emergency. Contact The Suicide & Crisis Lifeline 24/7 by calling or texting 988.

Low acuity conditions

On the other hand, low acuity refers to conditions that are less severe and not immediately dangerous. These conditions typically require less intensive treatment and monitoring compared to high acuity cases. While people with low acuity mental health issues might still benefit from therapy, medication, or other interventions, their symptoms are generally more manageable and less likely to pose an immediate risk to their safety or the safety of others. 

A low acuity example could be a teen who feels stressed and anxious about school tests and homework. While their stress and anxiety are real, the symptoms do not suggest an imminent danger to their safety. This places them in the low acuity category.

What are high acuity mental health conditions? 

Any mental health condition or symptoms where a person is in danger of hurting themselves or others warrants high acuity. In these situations, the patient requires speedy and usually intensive treatment to ensure safety. Some examples are:

Severe major depression‍

People who are going through a severe depressive episode may be openly suicidal, saying that they want to die or hinting at it. They may also exhibit behaviors like abusing alcohol or drugs, taking dangerous risks, or running away.

Severe bipolar disorder‍

People with bipolar disorder can experience shifts from manic states to low depressive states. Both scenarios have the potential for danger. During a manic episode, someone may get very angry and intense, or they may take reckless risks (for example, driving carelessly or abusing substances). They might also hallucinate. During a depressive episode, someone with bipolar disorder may cry uncontrollably, feel intense sadness, or have suicidal thoughts.

‍Substance use disorder (SUD)

SUD can be very dangerous. If the person abusing a substance gets violent or tries to drive while under the influence, other people’s safety is at risk, too. There is also the possibility of an accidental overdose, which could lead to irreversible health consequences or death.

Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia can cause someone to lose touch with reality. They may have delusions or hallucinations where they see or hear things that do not actually exist. This can also cause someone to act or speak in “disorganized” or abnormal ways. Ultimately, this makes it hard for people with schizophrenia to function and increases the likelihood of suicidal behavior. 

Severe borderline personality disorder‍ (BPD)

People with BPD may have very intense emotions and struggle to regulate them. They might also engage in risky, dangerous, impulsive behaviors. Additionally, they’re likely to self-harm or exhibit suicidal behavior. ‍

Self-harm‍

Self-harm is also known as nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI). However, even though someone who self-harms isn’t necessarily trying to kill themselves, that doesn’t mean it isn’t dangerous. People may self-harm by cutting themselves, banging their heads into walls, or burning themselves. It is possible for someone to severely injure themselves, even if they didn’t mean to take it to such an extreme.

Suicidal ideation

While suicidal ideation in and of itself is not a “condition,” it is a symptom that needs to be taken very seriously and addressed as a mental health emergency. People with or without a mental health condition may experience thoughts of suicide or make plans to kill themselves.

How virtual mental healthcare can support high acuity patients

Virtual mental health care significantly improves access to treatment for high acuity patients. It is most effective for high acuity patients who can safely receive treatment in a less intensive setting, such as their home, without needing hospital-level care. Here are key ways virtual care can support more people in need.

Accessibility

Recent research found that over one-third of the United States population lacks adequate care, which is a matter of public health and safety. Virtual platforms can connect people with specialists regardless of geographical barriers, ensuring that those in remote or underserved areas can access high-quality care. 

Immediate support

Virtual mental health care services offer immediate support and crisis intervention, significantly reducing wait times for high acuity patients in need of critical care, regardless of their location or the time of day. This accessibility ensures interventions manage symptoms effectively and prevent crises from escalating.

Convenience and comfort

High acuity patients not needing hospitalization or residential care may prefer virtual mental health care at home to avoid stigma and anxiety linked with clinic visits. This approach allows them to receive therapy in a familiar setting, potentially boosting their commitment to managing their mental health.

How Charlie Health can help 

If you or a loved one are struggling with your mental health, Charlie Health is here to help. Charlie Health’s virtual Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) provides more than once-weekly mental health treatment for dealing with serious mental health conditions. Our expert clinicians incorporate evidence-based therapies into individual counseling, family therapy, and group sessions. With treatment, managing your mental health is possible. Fill out the form below or give us a call to start healing today.