After a mental health emergency: Why follow-up care matters
Whether this happened to you or your child, you made it through the hardest part. Now let's talk about what comes next.
A trip to the emergency room (ER) for a mental health emergency can feel scary and overwhelming. This could be a mental health crisis, severe sadness, thoughts of self-harm or an overdose.
Leaving the ER is a big step, but it’s not the end of care. What you do next matters a lot.
One of the most important next steps is to see your doctor within one week of going home.
Here’s why follow-up care is so important — and what parents and caregivers should know after a mental health emergency.
What is a mental health emergency?
Mental health emergencies can look different for everyone. They may include:
- Severe feelings of fear, panic or sadness
- Worry or depression that feels too hard to manage
- Thoughts of hurting yourself or others
- Drug or alcohol use that got out of control
- Sudden changes in how a child, teen or loved one acts
The ER helps keep people safe during a crisis. But ongoing care is what helps healing continue.
Your next step: Call your doctor or primary care provider (PCP) within 24 hours of going home to make an appointment.
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For parents and guardians: What to know after your child's ER visit
If your child was seen in the ER for a mental health concern, you’re not alone. This is one of the hardest things a parent can go through. You may feel scared, tired or unsure of what to do next. Those feelings make sense.
The days right after leaving the ER are very important for children and teens. Getting follow-up care early can help your child:
- Feel safer and more supported
- Manage big emotions or stress
- Lower the chance of another crisis
- Get back to daily life, like school and family time
It's important to make a follow-up visit within 7 days, even if your child seems okay at home. Warning signs can come back or change quickly. Early support can stop another emergency before it starts.
As a parent or guardian, you can help by:
- Calling your child's doctor as soon as possible to set up a visit
- Watching for changes in mood, sleep, eating or behavior
- Making sure your child takes any medicines the doctor ordered
- Writing down questions to ask at the follow-up visit
Why follow-up care within 7 days is so important
An ER visit is often the first step in care—not the last. Think of it this way: if you broke your arm, you wouldn't leave the hospital and never see a doctor again. Mental health works the same way.
Getting follow-up care within one week can:
- Lower the chance of going back to the ER
- Reduce the risk of self-harm or things getting worse
- Help you feel safer and more supported
- Improve how you feel over time
Getting care early helps most people feel better and avoid another crisis.
Your next step: Even if you or your child feel okay, make the appointment. Early care is much easier than waiting until things get hard again.
Why you should see your doctor
Your doctor knows you — or your child — and your health history. They can be a key part of recovery after a mental health emergency.
At the visit, your doctor can:
- Check how recovery is going, in body and mind
- Go over the instructions you got when you left the ER
- Talk about medicines and any side effects
- Help connect you to counseling, therapy or other supports
Even if you plan to see a mental health doctor, seeing your regular doctor is still important.
Your next step: Call your doctor's office and say you were just seen in the ER. Ask for the earliest available appointment.
What happens at a follow-up visit?
A follow-up visit is a chance to talk, ask questions and get support. It’s not a test. There are no wrong answers.
During the visit, you may:
- Talk about how things have been since the ER visit
- Review medicines or treatment plans
- Learn coping skills or make a safety plan
- Get help setting up therapy or other services
You can share as much or as little as you feel ready to. The goal is to help you feel supported and stay on the path to recovery.
Your next step: Write down two or three things you want to talk about before the visit. It helps to be ready.
When more than one person is helping you
You may have more than one person helping with your care. That’s a good thing. When they share info, your care gets better.
Your care team could include:
- Your regular doctor
- A counselor or therapist
- A care manager or case worker
- School staff or community helpers
If you’re not sure who is on your care team, ask at your follow-up visit. Your doctor or health plan can help you figure that out.
Your next step: Ask your doctor at the follow-up visit: "Who else should know about my care?"
Need help making an appointment?
If it’s hard to get an appointment, you do not have to figure it out alone. Ask for help from:
- The hospital or ER before you leave
- Your health plan's care manager or member services team
- A family member, friend or guardian
You may be able to see your doctor by phone, video or in person — whatever works best for you.
Your next step: If you need help, call the member services number on the back of your health plan card.
When to get help right away
If you or your child is in danger or having another mental health emergency:
- Call 911, or
- Call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It’s no-cost, private and you can call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness.
You are taking an important step
Mental health recovery takes time, care and support. Making a follow-up visit can help stop another crisis and support your (or your child’s) long-term health.
You don’t have to go through this alone. Help is out there and healing is possible.
