Compulsory Admission to Hospital: (Sections 2, 3 and 4 of the Mental Health Act)

2017 ◽  
pp. 53-62

Mental Health Act 1983 460 Mental Health Act 2007 462 Compulsory admission to hospital for assessment and treatment 464 Emergency holding powers 466 Mental Health Review Tribunals 468 The Mental Health Act Commission 470 Sexual Offences Act 472 Disability Discrimination Act 2005 474 Human Rights Act ...


1994 ◽  
Vol 165 (6) ◽  
pp. 743-749 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. E. Bebbington ◽  
S. T. Feeney ◽  
C. B. Flannigan ◽  
G. R. Glover ◽  
S. W. Lewis ◽  
...  

BackgroundTwenty-six per cent of patients in two Inner London districts were admitted to acute wards under the provisions of the Mental Health Act. Compared with those not under compulsion, they were young, male, more likely to be of black Caribbean origin, and to have a diagnosis of schizophrenia of short duration. The hypothesis is tested that ethnicity determines rates of compulsory admission independently of the other factors.MethodSampling and data collection methods were described in the first paper. Statistical analyses included a log-linear analysis of six key variables: compulsory admission, challenging behaviour, diagnosis, ethnicity, age, and sex.ResultsThere were no substantial differences between districts. Analysis provided two similar statistical models. In both, admission under the Act was strongly associated with challenging behaviour and diagnosis of schizophrenia. In the model of best fit there was no significant interaction term for ethnicity and compulsion. In the second model there was a weak association.ConclusionsEthnicity did not appear to be of outstanding importance in decisions to use the Mental Health Act. There was a strong link between ethnicity and diagnosis, independent of compulsion. Differences between the districts made no major contribution to the rates of compulsory admission.


2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (S1) ◽  
pp. S353-S353
Author(s):  
J.N. Beezhold ◽  
D. Fothergill ◽  
L. Jervis ◽  
G. Mosa ◽  
A. Pandey ◽  
...  

IntroductionA significant number of people are not detained in hospital following assessment under the Mental Health Act 1983 (MHA) for possible detention. However, since amendments in 2007, some studies show an increase in total patient detentions. There is currently a lack of published research describing both outcomes and their affecting variables.ObjectivesTo determine rates, outcomes and affecting variables of MHA assessments in Norfolk, 2001–2011.MethodsThis observational study involved data collection from all 11,509 referrals for detention assessment under the MHA. Data was collected by Norfolk Social Services from 2001–2011 including age, gender and marital status.ResultsFollowing assessment, 6903 (60.0%) were admitted; of those, 1157 (16.8%) were voluntary and 5746 (83.2%) were detained; 4606 (40%) were not admitted. Admission rates for males (50.4%) and females (49.5%) were similar. Detention rates increased with age: 37.6% of < 18s; 47.1% of 18–64s and 61.4% of 65+. A greater proportion of married (57.5%) and widowed patients (58.2%) were detained, compared with patients who were single (48%). Accommodation status showed 52% of those living with other were detained versus 43.9% of those with no fixed abode.ConclusionsThe finding that a higher proportion of married than single people, and of those living with others versus living alone, were detained following assessment is unexpected but significant and needs further investigation.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.


1996 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 140-143
Author(s):  
Fionnula O'Loughlin ◽  
Marcus Webb

AbstractObjective:As the provision for the involuntary admission to hospital of alcoholics is likely to be discarded in a new Irish Mental Health Act, the characteristics of patients committed under the 1945 Irish Mental Treatment Act were explored and compared with those alcoholics admitted voluntarily.Method:All alcoholics admitted compulsorily from 1989-1992 to a general psychiatrichospital in Dublin were compared retrospectively with voluntarily admitted alcoholics. Data was taken from case notes.Results:Results showed that patients admitted compulsorily were older (t = 3.74, df = 62, p < 0.001) and had more physical complications (X2= 8.4, df = 1, p < 0.004) than those admitted voluntarily. Although results did not reach a statistically significant level, there were proportionately more females in the compulsorily admitted group compared with the voluntary group. The outcome of admission overall was better in those admitted voluntarily, although this was influenced both by length of stay and previous admissions for treatment of alcohol dependence. One particularly interesting finding, regardless of admission category, was that duration of admission was statistically significantly longer for women when compared with men.Conclusions:Compulsory admission of alcoholics to a psychiatric hospital for very brief periods was not shown to be strikingly helpful, but this study cannot decide whether or not longer periods of compulsory admission would be valuable.


2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 88-90 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mette Brandt-Christensen

In Denmark, the parliament passed the first Mental Health Act (MHA) in 1938. A new Act was passed in 1989, based on a thorough report from the Ministry of Justice. The 1989 Act emphasised the protection of citizens' legal rights in relation to compulsory admission, detention and treatment in psychiatric hospitals. That Act is still in operation, although it has been amended several times. In 2006 the definition of ‘compulsion’ was changed, and a 2010 amendment introduced compulsory treatment in the community for a trial period of 4 years.


1989 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 477-479 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lynne Webster ◽  
Christine Dean

The 1983 Mental Health Act was introduced to increase the safeguards of the civil liberties of patients. One of the new provisions is that it is now the statutory responsibility of hospital managers to inform detained patients of their rights; this is done by giving them a leaflet explaining the appeal procedures. Doubt has been expressed (Dunlop, 1979) about whether this is an efficient means of conveying information to acutely ill patients.


2019 ◽  
Vol 50 (3) ◽  
pp. 642-663 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alice Wickersham ◽  
Shilpa Nairi ◽  
Rebecca Jones ◽  
Brynmor Lloyd-Evans

Abstract Background Compulsory admission rates under the Mental Health Act (MHA) have been on the rise for many years despite representing a costly and coercive approach to psychiatric care. There is therefore an urgent need to minimise compulsory admission rates using interventions based on known risk factors for detention. However, risk factors in the MHA assessment process have been under-researched. Methods A mixed methods service evaluation was conducted in one inner London NHS Trust. A retrospective cohort study used routinely collected assessment records to model potential risk factors for detention. Local assessors were interviewed to explore factors that might help or hinder detention minimisation. Main findings Assessments were less likely to result in detention when professionals other than the assessing team were in attendance, although this association weakened after adjusting for potential confounders. Interviewed assessors identified factors that could contribute to detention minimisation in the assessment process, in general service provision, and in wider society. Conclusion Some local assessment processes could contribute to minimising detention rates, such as community team participation in assessments. Challenges posed by limited resources and community and inpatient care were particularly evident. Consideration of these might also help reduce detentions.


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