scholarly journals Police and health operational staff perspectives on managing detainees held under Section 136 of the Mental Health Act: A qualitative study in London

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 88-93
Author(s):  
Arun Sondhi ◽  
Emma Williams
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Framework Analysis ◽  
Therapeutic Environment ◽  
Mental Health Act ◽  
Therapeutic Interaction ◽  
Adverse Incident ◽  
N 93

Detention under section 136(1) of the Mental Health Act 1983 allows for the police to detain a person from a public place and “remove [them] to a place of safety” if it is “in the interests of that person or for the protection of other persons in immediate need of care or control.” This study examines the interface between police and health professionals covering the conveyance and transfer of detainees to a place of safety and on completion of the assessment prior to inpatient admission. One hundred ninety-six professionals were interviewed across police (n=38), London Ambulance Service (n=2), Mental Health or Emergency Department staff (n=63), and Approved Mental Health Professionals (AMHPs)/Section 12 doctors (n=93). The data was analyzed thematically using a Framework analysis. The conveyance and transfer of detainees was framed by various elements of detainee risk. Healthcare professionals cited clinical risk, risk associated with substance misuse, professional safety, culture of risk aversion, staffing issues, and fear of certain detainee groups as the main issues. For police, risk was discussed within the context of institutional or professional fear of negligence due to an adverse incident. It is argued that the negative framing of risk at this point of the detention process by all professionals creates a negative therapeutic environment for detainees. Whilst safety is an essential part of the detention process, these distinctions problematize the process for a detainee. The article argues for a more balanced framing of risk to establish a more therapeutic interaction between detainees and police and healthcare providers.

scholarly journals Why Do Approved Mental Health Professionals Think Detentions under the Mental Health Act Are Rising and What Do They Think Should Be Done about It?

2020 ◽  
Vol 50 (2) ◽  
pp. 616-633 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Bonnet ◽  
Nicola Moran
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Social Risk ◽  
Social Risk Factors ◽  
Mental Health Act ◽  
The Impact

Abstract The number of people detained under the 1983 Mental Health Act has risen significantly in recent years and has recently been the subject of an independent review. Most existing research into the rise in detentions has tended to prioritise the perspectives of psychiatrists and failed to consider the views of Approved Mental Health Professionals (AMHPs), usually social workers, who ultimately determine whether detention is appropriate. This mixed-methods study focused on AMHPs’ views on the reasons behind the rise in detentions and potential solutions. It included a national online survey of AMHPs (n = 160) and semi-structured interviews with six AMHPs within a Community Mental Health Team in England. AMHPs reported that demand for mental health services vastly exceeded supply and, due to inadequate resources, more people were being detained in hospital. AMHPs argued that greater investment in preventative mental health services and ‘low intensity’ support would help to mitigate the impact of social risk factors on mental health; and greater investment in crisis services, including non-medical alternatives to hospital, was required. Such investment at either end of the spectrum was expected to be more effective than changes to the law and lead to better outcomes for mental health service users.

scholarly journals The Consequences of Acting Unlawfully

2014 ◽  
Vol 1 (10) ◽  
pp. 35
Author(s):  
Kris Gledhill
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Human Rights ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Public Law ◽  
Fundamental Rights ◽  
Self Determination ◽  
Human Rights Law ◽  
Mental Health Act ◽  
Health Review

<p align="LEFT">The Mental Health Act 1983 provides for detention and also for treatment which would otherwise be an assault. As such, it allows for interference with the fundamental rights to liberty and to self-determination. Particularly as it does so in the context of a branch of medicine which is often highly subjective, it is hardly surprising that litigation is occasionally resorted to by those affected who wish to challenge the legality of what is occurring to them.</p><p align="LEFT">The framework for this litigation has developed, spurred on in particular by the growth of public law and human rights law. As a result, mental health professionals have to be familiar not just with the court-machinery which is central to the Mental Health Act 1983 (which provides for the Mental Health Review Tribunal to determine the legality of the ongoing detention of a patient, and refers the issue of the displacement of a nearest relative to the county court) but also with the courts which deal with questions of public law (in particular the Administrative Court) and the civil litigation courts.</p>

scholarly journals Ethnic bias in the application of the Mental Health Act 1983

2007 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 350-357 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kalpana Dein ◽  
Paul Simon Williams ◽  
Simon Dein
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Black People ◽  
Ethnic Bias ◽  
White People ◽  
England And Wales ◽  
Contributory Factors ◽  
Mental Health Act ◽  
White Patients

There is evidence pointing to a bias in the application of the Mental Health Act 1983 (which is in force in England and Wales). One study found that Black people on in-patient units were four times more likely to have been compulsorily admitted than White people. Furthermore, it has been shown that compulsory admissions to secure units are 2.9–5.6 times higher for Black than for White patients. Any understanding of this bias necessitates an examination of the attitudes of mental health professionals towards Africans and African–Caribbeans. Here we discuss possible contributory factors and examine a number of initiatives that have been instituted in order to tackle this problem.

scholarly journals Primary health professionals’ beliefs, experiences, and willingness to treat minor attracted persons

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca Lievesley ◽  
Helen Swaby ◽  
Craig A. Harper ◽  
Ellie Woodward
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Mental Health Treatment ◽  
Professional Training ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Mental Health Settings ◽  
Decision Making Processes ◽  
Treatment Priorities

There is a desire and need among minor attracted persons (MAPs) to access support within the community, and this often begins with an approach to healthcare providers working in general medical/mental health settings. However, little is known about the experiences of these non-specialist professionals in relation to their beliefs, knowledge, and decision-making processes when working with patients who disclose sexual attractions to children. Using an online survey, this study explored the knowledge, comfort, competence, and treatment willingness of 220 non-specialist healthcare providers when faced with patients who disclose sexual attractions to children. We investigated the prevalence of these disclosures, clinician stigma, treatment priorities, and professionals’ willingness to report MAPs to external agencies because of their sexual attractions. Some key differences were found when comparing primary medical vs mental health professionals, including increased likelihood to view MAPs as dangerous, unable to control behaviors and that sexual attractions are an avoidable choice, in the former group. Both groups prioritized mental health treatment targets above controlling attractions and living with stigmatized attractions, although controlling or changing attractions were still relatively high priorities. Results indicated a need for further training, focusing on increasing comfort around working with MAPs, as this was associated with a greater willingness to work with this group. We identify current gaps in service provision for MAPs seeking professional support and discuss recommendations for professional training.

scholarly journals Caring for Patients with Psychosis: Mental Health Professionals’ Views on Informal Caregivers’ Needs

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 2964
Author(s):  
Maria Moudatsou ◽  
Sofia Koukouli ◽  
Eleutheria Palioka ◽  
Garyfalia Pattakou ◽  
Panagiota Teleme ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Informal Caregivers ◽  
Sampling Strategy ◽  
Framework Analysis ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Qualitative Research Design ◽  
Improving Patient Care ◽  
The Impact

The aim of this study was to explore the views of mental health professionals regarding the needs of the informal caregivers of patients with chronic psychotic syndrome. A qualitative research design was used. The sample consisted of 12 mental health professionals selected by a purposive sampling strategy. Data were collected through semistructured, face to face interviews. Framework analysis was used to analyze qualitative data and establish main themes and subthemes. Three main themes emerged namely, (i) impact of caring on caregivers’ lives, (ii) caregivers’ needs, and (iii) recommendations for better care. Informal caregivers’ needs were conceptualized into subthemes within the main themes. Caregivers’ increased responsibilities of caring for their relatives, the impact on their mental and physical health status and the restrictions in their social and professional life were revealed. Targeted health interventions and social policy planning are recommended for supporting informal caregivers and improving patient care.

scholarly journals The Mental Health Act Commission

1994 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 328-332 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Curran ◽  
William Bingley
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Structure And Function ◽  
Mental Health Act ◽  
And Function ◽  
Development Structure

The aim of this article is to promote a clearer understanding of the Mental Health Commission's development, structure and function. Over recent years, mental health professionals and patients have become more aware of the organisation and its work, although some may remain uncertain about its function and how it fits into the overall care of detained patients. The Commission's fundamental job is to safeguard the well-being and interests of patients detained under the Act. Its remit does not extend to informal patients. Unless otherwise indicated, all statutory references are to the 1983 Mental Health Act.

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