Reasons for Detention Under Mental Health Act 1983 Clinical Trial
Official title:
A Qualitative Study of Service Users' Perspective of Reasons for Detention Under Section 136 of the Mental Health Act 1983 Using Grounded Theory
Section 136 of the Mental Health Act (MHA) 1983 allows the police to detain someone in a
public place if there are reasons to believe that they may be suffering from a mental
disorder and to be in need of care or control. For a significant number of psychiatric
patients, detention under section 136 and accessing psychiatric services via the police
remains an important, and sometimes the only pathway to care. Approximately 17400 people
were detained under section 136 of the MHA 1983 during the year 2005-2006 (Independent
Police Complaints Commission, 2008).
Despite the large number of patients accessing mental health services via the police, there
is no research available to identify the service users' perspective of what led them to come
into contact with police and to identify the reasons for care not being accessed by
conventional routes. Royal College Psychiatrists (RCP, 2008) and Independent Police
Complaints Commission (IPCC, 2008) found that there was lack of research into the service
users' perspective and recommended research into this area.
The investigators have devised this research project to help themselves and the wider
research and clinical community understand the service users' perspective of how they came
to be detained by the police, whether the community services had failed and explore their
views to understand what can be done to improve the service provisions.
Fieldhead hospital, Wakefield provides acute inpatient care for psychiatric patients. Those
who are detained under section 136 of the MHA in Wakefield area are taken to a place of
safety and following assessment they may be admitted formally or informally to Fieldhead
hospital for assessment and treatment. Those who are detained under section 136 of MHA and
subsequently admitted as inpatients to Fieldhead hospital will be included in this study.
| Status | Not yet recruiting |
| Enrollment | 20 |
| Est. completion date | January 2011 |
| Est. primary completion date | October 2010 |
| Accepts healthy volunteers | No |
| Gender | Both |
| Age group | 18 Years to 65 Years |
| Eligibility |
Inclusion Criteria: - Those who have been detained under Section 136 of the Mental Health Act 1983 and subsequently admitted to Fieldhead Hospital, Wakefield - Those service users aged between 18 and 65 years - Those service users who have the capacity to consent to the interview Exclusion Criteria: - Those service users who are under 18 years old and over 65 years old at the time of the study - Service users who are assessed to be incapacitated to consent to the study - Adults with dementia - Those who cannot understand and/or speak English sufficiently to participate in interview - Service user's who are currently experiencing crisis |
Time Perspective: Retrospective
| Country | Name | City | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Fieldhead Hospital | Wakefield | West Yorkshire |
| Lead Sponsor | Collaborator |
|---|---|
| South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust |
United Kingdom,
Kent J, Gunasekaran S. Mentally disordered detainees in the police station: the role of the psychiatrist. Advances in Psychiatric Treatment (2010) 16: 115-123. Docking M, Grace K, Bucke T. Police Custody as a "Place of Safety". Examining the Use of Section 136 of the Mental Health Act 1983. Independent Police Complaints Commission, London (2008). Royal College of Psychiatrists. Standards on the Use of Section 136 of the Mental Health Act 1983 (Council Report CR149). Royal College of Psychiatrists, United Kingdom (2008).