An audit of incomplete involuntary admissions to an approved Irish centre

2010 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 143-147 ◽  
Author(s):  
Atiqa Rafiq ◽  
Mary O'Hanlon
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Disorder ◽  
Substance Misuse ◽  
Alcohol Misuse ◽  
Admission Rate ◽  
Referral Rate ◽  
Involuntary Admission ◽  
Mental Health Act ◽  
Audit Cycle ◽  
Definition Of

AbstractObjectives:With the implementation of the Mental Health Act 2001 (M HA 2001) in November 2006, there was an expectation of reduction in the overall involuntary admission rate, particularly as those with a sole diagnosis of substance misuse were specifically excluded from the definition of mental disorder. The aim of this audit cycle was to ascertain this rate and to audit the process of the referral, transfer, assessment and subsequent management of the patients whose admission orders were not completed by the consultant psychiatrists (CPs) following referral for involuntary admission to an approved centre. In addition, the authors wished to ascertain if the recommendations of Audit 2003 were implemented.Method:The Audit 2003 analysed all Temporary Patient Reception Orders sent to an approved centre in the year 2003 but whose admission orders were not completed by the CP. A protocol was drawn up to elicit information. The Re-Audit in 2008 used the same protocol. The duration of the Re-Audit was 01.11.06-31.10.07. The results were analysed using SPSS 12.Results:There is no change in the involuntary referral rate to the approved centre in Longford/Westmeath since the new legislation was enacted. The CP continues to refuse to make an order in one in three cases. Patients with a sole diagnosis of alcohol misuse continue to be referred for involuntary admission but are now presenting sober on admission. There also appears to be an increased rate of incorrectly filled forms by GPs.Conclusions:This audit indicates a need for more training for GPs and Gardai in the MHA 2001 and filling of forms.

scholarly journals The case for removing intellectual disability and autism from the Mental Health Act

2019 ◽  
Vol 215 (5) ◽  
pp. 633-635
Author(s):  
Sheila Hollins ◽  
Keri-Michèle Lodge ◽  
Paul Lomax
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Intellectual Disability ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Mental Disorder ◽  
Learning Disability ◽  
Mental Illnesses ◽  
Mental Health Act ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Serious Mental Illnesses

SummaryIntellectual disability (also known as learning disability in UK health services) and autism are distinct from the serious mental illnesses for which the Mental Health Act is designed to be used. Their inclusion in the definition of mental disorder is discriminatory, resulting in unjust deprivations of liberty. Intellectual disability and autism should be excluded from the Mental Health Act.Declaration of interestNone.

scholarly journals Definitions and criteria: the 2007 amendments to the Mental Health Act 1983

2010 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 161-167 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tim Branton ◽  
Guy Brookes
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Disorder ◽  
Medical Treatment ◽  
Psychological Treatment ◽  
Basic Structure ◽  
Code Of Practice ◽  
Mental Health Act ◽  
Sexual Deviancy ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Mental Capacity Act

SummaryThis article deals with the provisions for the lawful detention and compulsory treatment of patients in England and Wales. The 2007 amendments to the Mental Health Act 1983 redefine ‘mental disorder’ and ‘medical treatment’ and remove the classifications required for longer-term detention, abolishing the so-called ‘treatability test’ and introducing a new appropriate-treatment test. ‘Learning disability’ is brought within the definition of mental disorder but only if ‘associated with abnormally aggressive or seriously irresponsible conduct’. The exclusion for promiscuity, other immoral conduct or sexual deviancy is repealed; the exclusion for dependence on alcohol and drugs is retained. The revised definition of ‘medical treatment’ includes psychological treatment and removes the requirement that treatment is under medical supervision. The basic structure of the 1983 Act is retained. Use of the powers is discretionary. The principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 are imported into the decision-making framework through the wording of the Mental Health ActCode of Practice.

Mental Health Act 1983

2021 ◽  
pp. 339-348
Author(s):  
Anna Smajdor ◽  
Jonathan Herring ◽  
Robert Wheeler
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Disorder ◽  
Brain Tissue ◽  
Emergency Admission ◽  
Convulsive Therapy ◽  
Mental Health Act ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Electro Convulsive Therapy

This chapter covers the Mental Health Act 1983 and includes topics on The definition of mental disorder under the Mental Health Act, Criteria for admission under s.2 Mental Health Act, Criteria for Admission under section 3, Criteria for Emergency Admission under section 4 Mental Health Act, Brain Tissue Treatment under Mental Health Act, Electro-convulsive Therapy.

Amendments to the Mental Health Act 1983: implications for people with learning disabilities

2009 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-8
Author(s):  
Ian Hall ◽  
Afia Ali
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Learning Disabilities ◽  
Mental Disorder ◽  
Learning Disability ◽  
Community Treatment ◽  
Health Practitioner ◽  
Professional Roles ◽  
Mental Health Practitioner ◽  
Mental Health Act ◽  
Definition Of

The new Mental Health Act 2007 substantially amends the Mental Health Act 1983. In this article, some of the most important changes are highlighted, including changes to the definition of mental disorder, the new professional roles of approved mental health practitioner and responsible clinician, and the new powers for Supervised Community Treatment. The likely impact of these changes for people with learning disability and professionals working with them is discussed.

The Use of Section 136 of the Mental Health Act 1983 in a Family of Rural English Police Forces

2003 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 75-79 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neil Greenberg ◽  
Niki Haines
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Disorder ◽  
Police Officers ◽  
Hospital Admissions ◽  
Rural Setting ◽  
Mental Health Act ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Act Assessment ◽  
Police Forces

Section 136 of the Mental Health Act 1983 is used by police officers to detain persons who they feel might be suffering with mental disorder until a formal Mental Health Act assessment can be undertaken. Previous studies have shown that the outcomes of these assessments result in remarkably different rates of subsequent hospital admissions. Within a rural setting it has also been shown that the rate of use of Section 136 varies considerably. This study examines the use of Section 136 within a family of eight police forces that have been matched to ensure that they cover similar populations. The results show that there are considerable variations in the use of Section 136, with the Devon and Cornwall region using the section over two and a half times the mean for the group. Possible reasons for this discrepancy are discussed.

The scale of the problem

Psychiatry ◽  
2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca McKnight ◽  
Jonathan Price ◽  
John Geddes
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Mental Disorder ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Clinical Medicine ◽  
Well Being ◽  
World Health ◽  
The Social ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Health Organization

One in four individuals suffer from a psychiatric disorder at some point in their life, with 15– 20 per cent fitting cri­teria for a mental disorder at any given time. The latter corresponds to around 450 million people worldwide, placing mental disorders as one of the leading causes of global morbidity. Mental health problems represent five of the ten leading causes of disability worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported in mid 2016 that ‘the global cost of mental illness is £651 billion per year’, stating that the equivalent of 50 million working years was being lost annually due to mental disorders. The financial global impact is clearly vast, but on a smaller scale, the social and psychological impacts of having a mental dis­order on yourself or your family are greater still. It is often difficult for the general public and clin­icians outside psychiatry to think of mental health dis­orders as ‘diseases’ because it is harder to pinpoint a specific pathological cause for them. When confronted with this view, it is helpful to consider that most of medicine was actually founded on this basis. For ex­ample, although medicine has been a profession for the past 2500 years, it was only in the late 1980s that Helicobacter pylori was linked to gastric/ duodenal ul­cers and gastric carcinoma, or more recently still that the BRCA genes were found to be a cause of breast cancer. Still much of clinical medicine treats a patient’s symptoms rather than objective abnormalities. The WHO has given the following definition of mental health:… Mental health is defined as a state of well- being in which every individual realizes his or her own po­tential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community.… This is a helpful definition, because it clearly defines a mental disorder as a condition that disrupts this state in any way, and sets clear goals of treatment for the clinician. It identifies the fact that a disruption of an individual’s mental health impacts negatively not only upon their enjoyment and ability to cope with life, but also upon that of the wider community.

Clinical predictors of involuntary detention among voluntary inpatients in St Patrick’s University Hospital (SPUH)

2015 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-18
Author(s):  
B. Masood ◽  
S. O’Ceallaigh ◽  
T. Thekiso ◽  
M. Nichol ◽  
P. Kowalska-Beda ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Suicide Risk ◽  
Clinical Characteristics ◽  
University Hospital ◽  
Involuntary Admission ◽  
Clinical Predictors ◽  
Consultant Psychiatrist ◽  
Mental Health Act ◽  
Admission Status ◽  
Act Assessment

BackgroundFew studies have described clinical characteristics of patients subject to an involuntary detention in an Irish context. The Irish Mental Health Act 2001 makes provision under Section 23(1), whereby a person who has voluntary admission status can be detained.AimsThis study aimed to describe all involuntary admissions to St Patrick’s University Hospital (SPUH) (2011–2013) and to evaluate clinical characteristics of voluntary patients who underwent Mental Health Act assessment during 2011 to determine differences in those who had involuntary admission orders completed and those who did not.MethodsAll uses of Mental Health Act 2001 within SPUH 2011–2013 were identified. All uses of Section 23(1) during 2011 were reviewed and relevant documents/case-notes examined using a pro forma covering clinical data, factors recognized to influence involuntary admissions and validated scales were used to determine diagnoses, insight, suicide and violence risk.ResultsOver 2011–2013, 2.5–3.8% of all admissions were involuntary with more detained after use of Section 23(1) than Section 14(2). The majority of initiations of Section 23(1) did not result in an involuntary admission (72%), occurred out of hours (52%) and many occurred early after admission (<1 week, 43%). Initiation of Section 23(1) by a consultant psychiatrist (p=0.001), suicide risk (p=0.03) and lack of patient insight into treatment (p=0.007) predicted conversion to involuntary admission.ConclusionThis study predicts a role for patient insight, suicide risk and consultant psychiatrist decision making in the initiation of Mental Health Act assessment of voluntary patients. Further data describing the involuntary admissions process in an Irish setting are needed.

The development of the role in Ireland of the Authorised Officer (Section 9:1b Mental Health Act 2001) applicant for the involuntary admission to approved centres of persons suffering from mental disorders

2015 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 353-358 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. J. Browne
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Involuntary Admission ◽  
Health Service Executive ◽  
Mental Health Act

This article outlines the development of the role of the Health Service Executive Authorised Officer in Ireland, the professional applicant for the involuntary admission of an adult to hospital beyond that which was envisioned in the Mental Health Act 2001.

scholarly journals An Inconvenient Mirror: Do we already have the next Mental Health Act?

2014 ◽  
Vol 1 (13) ◽  
pp. 138
Author(s):  
David Hewitt
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Broad Definition ◽  
Code Of Practice ◽  
Mental Health Act ◽  
The Status ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
The Government ◽  
Draft Bill ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Key Aspects

<p>The Government intends to replace the Mental Health Act 1983, and the most recent of its proposals were contained in the Draft Mental Health Bill published in June 2004.</p><p>The 1983 Act is now very different to the statute introduced at the end of 1982. Parliament and the courts have made a number of significant changes over the last 20-odd years, and they have brought us a lot closer to the next Mental Health Act than many people – and possibly even the Government – suppose. In fact, those changes may have brought us rather close to the Draft Mental Health Bill. That will be an uncomfortable thought for many people.</p><p>This paper will consider five key aspects of the Draft Mental Health Bill:</p><p>• the provisions dealing with risk and treatability;</p><p>• the notion of compulsion in the community;</p><p>• the status of the Code of Practice; and</p><p>• the abolition of the Approved Social Worker.</p><p>The paper will ask whether, because of the changes of the last two decades, the current Mental Health Act has already arrived at much the same point. In addition, the paper will consider the position of incapable patients. Although the Draft Bill contains precious few proposals about them, the paper will ask whether recent developments have made a broad definition of mental disorder all but essential.</p>

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