Involuntary admission in Greece: A prospective national study of police involvement and client characteristics affecting emergency assessment

Abstract

Background and aim: Mental health legislation varies considerably from one country to the other. This study aims to describe the characteristics of the individuals who are brought in by the police for psychiatric assessment and the police involvement in this procedure in Greece. Method: Prospective study of the incident books of the police departments throughout Greece concerning involuntary psychiatric admissions. These books were completed by the police officers who brought the individuals for involuntary psychiatric examination. Results: In total, 2,038 involuntary assessments were evaluated and examined in relationship to the demographic characteristics of the examined individuals. The main findings are as follows. Males were more often assessed (69%) at a younger age than females ( p < 0.001). The majority of the assessments led to involuntary admission (87.5%). Immigrant status did not lead to increased involuntary commitment. The chance for involuntary admission was greater for younger Greek nationals offering resistance. An unexpected finding is that police officers were unnecessarily present in almost half of the mental health assessments (49.4%). Conclusion: The psychiatrists in Greece who perform mental health assessments under the Greek Mental Health Law admit the majority of individuals. They also accept the presence of a police officer during the assessment more often than expected. This issue needs immediate addressing by means of better training and support of psychiatrists.