Top 10 U.S. States Where Mental Health Patients Endure the Longest Emergency Room Wait Times

• Rhode Island has the longest wait time at 444.5 minutes.
• Delaware (410.8 minutes) and Vermont (399.3 minutes) rank second and third, respectively.
• South Dakota has the shortest wait time in the nation at 158 minutes.

A new study reveals that Rhode Island has the longest emergency room wait times for mental health patients in the United States.

The research by personal injury law firm  H&P Law analyzed national emergency department data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), measuring the median time from a mental health patient’s arrival to their departure. States were ranked based on the average wait times reported by hospitals, excluding cases where patients died, left without provider approval, or lacked a documented discharge destination.

Rhode Island, ranked first, with the longest emergency department wait time for mental health patients at 444.5 minutes. The Ocean State’s average is 66.6% above the national benchmark of 266.8 minutes.

Delaware takes the second spot with an average wait time of 410.8 minutes. The First State exceeds the national average by 54%, highlighting a significant delay in mental health emergency care.

Vermont ranks third with mental health patients waiting an average of 399.3 minutes. This puts the Green Mountain State at 49.7% higher than the U.S. average of 266.8 minutes.

Looking at the study, a spokesperson at H&P Law commented:

 “This analysis draws attention to the critical delays mental health patients face in emergency departments, especially in states like Rhode Island, Delaware, and Vermont.”

“Prolonged wait times not only worsen patients’ mental health crises but can also lead to unsafe outcomes for both patients and healthcare providers.”

“Addressing these wait times requires increased mental health staffing, dedicated psychiatric emergency services, and streamlined admission processes. “

Maryland, in fourth place, averages 399 minutes for mental health ER waits. This marks the Old Line State’s figure as 49.6% above the national average.

Massachusetts, ranked fifth, reports an average wait of 355.2 minutes. That makes the Bay State’s ER time 33.2% longer than the national average for mental health patients.

Maine (6th) recorded an average mental health patient wait time of 355 minutes, followed by Tennessee (7th) at 351.8 minutes, Illinois (8th) at 334.4 minutes, North Carolina (9th) at 320.4 minutes, and Georgia (10th) at 318.4 minutes.

Table of Extended Results:

Top 10 U.S. States With the Longest Mental Patient Waiting Time
State	Average Mental Patient Waiting Time (Minutes)	Rank
Rhode Island	444.5	1
Delaware	410.8	2
Vermont	399.3	3
Maryland	399	4
Massachusetts	355.2	5
Maine	355	6
Tennessee	351.8	7
Illinois	334.4	8
North Carolina	320.4	9
Georgia	318.4	10

The study was conducted by H&P Law, an experienced personal injury law firm dedicated to protecting clients’ rights and maximizing claim value.

Methodology

The study analyzed national emergency department data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), focusing on the median time mental health patients spent in the emergency department before discharge. The data excludes patients who died, left without provider approval, or had no documented discharge destination.

Data Source : https://data.cms.gov/provider-data/dataset/apyc-v239

Data Set : https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1U17zs-IGTe2YVBjnrce2A-C2yl8lCGqVZoFNYAfiduo/edit?gid=1152063139#gid=1152063139

Study By:  www.courtroomproven.com