Vol. 2, Issue 1, Part A (2025)

Background: Psychiatric emergencies require immediate, coordinated responses to prevent escalation, ensure patient safety, and maintain therapeutic engagement. Rapid Response Teams (RRTs), initially developed in acute medical settings, are increasingly being adapted to mental health services to address these urgent needs. Objective: This study explored the effectiveness and qualitative impact of RRT interventions in psychiatric crisis management, focusing on response timeliness, operational outcomes, and the experiences of both patients and healthcare providers. Methods: A qualitative phenomenological design was employed at a tertiary psychiatric care facility. Twenty participants including nurses, psychiatrists, allied professionals, and patients were purposively sampled. Data collection involved semi-structured interviews, direct observations, and hospital operational records of 96 RRT activations. Thematic analysis was conducted to identify key patterns in perceptions and experiences, while descriptive statistics were used to summarize response times and intervention outcomes. Results: Median response time was 10 minutes (IQR 8-13), with the fastest responses during day shifts. Most crises (67.7%) were resolved on the ward, while 21.9% required transfer to the Emergency Department. Seclusion and restraint use remained relatively low (10.4%). Perceived effectiveness scores were high for patient safety, timeliness, communication, and therapeutic engagement. Qualitative analysis identified six dominant themes: timely containment, therapeutic alliance, role clarity, resource constraints, training needs, and continuity-of-care gaps. Conclusion: The findings indicate that RRTs enhance the timeliness and quality of psychiatric crisis management, reduce the use of coercive measures, and promote trust-based patient care. However, variations in response times and gaps in continuity of care highlight areas for improvement. Strengthening night-shift protocols, enhancing staff training, improving handovers, and embedding RRTs within broader mental health crisis frameworks can further optimize their effectiveness. RRTs represent a valuable strategy for delivering rapid, coordinated, and compassionate care in psychiatric emergencies.