Emergency Psychiatric Detentions: Inter Regional Comparison of Sections 24 and 25 of the Mental Health (Scotland) Act 1984

Abstract

There are few published studies examining the emergency compulsory admission of patients to hospital under sections 24 and 25 of the Mental Health (Scotland) Act 1984. This retrospective casenote study reviewed 200 casenotes in Fife and Edinburgh to investigate the type of patients detained by general practitioners (GPs) and psychiatrists, in neighbouring health regions in which emergency psychiatric service provision differs. There were significant differences between the patients so detained, with regard to demographic variables and outcome of detention, but not for diagnoses. These were consistent findings for the two health regions investigated. There was evidence of mis-application of the ‘emergency recommendations’. Situational factors are important in the decision to detain a person. Differences in psychiatric provision in the community may have an influence on the outcome of these detentions. Further studies would help to further define these variables. (These data formed part of an M. Phil thesis sbmission, granted by Edinburgh University in 1997)