Involuntary hospitalisation: variations in mental health detentions across Western Europe, Australia and New Zealand

The rate of mental health detentions in England has risen by nearly 50% in the last decade. This is faster than almost anywhere else in Europe

John Baker examines an international comparative mental health study published today, which looks at variations in patterns of involuntary hospitalisation and in legal frameworks.

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Mental Health Act detentions are increasing, but why?

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Luke Sheridan-Rains summarises a study containing data on the use of the Mental Health Act in England over the last 30 years, which points to an inexorable rise in involuntary admissions.

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Family therapy for adolescent self-harm: SHIFT trial says it doesn’t reduce hospital visits and isn’t cost-effective

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Udita Iyengar and Dennis Ougrin consider the findings of the SHIFT trial, which explored the effectiveness of systemic family therapy versus treatment as usual for young people after self-harm.

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Blended therapy for men who self-harm #DigiMHweek

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Olivia Kirtley looks at a qualitative study of a blended therapy using problem solving therapy with a customised smartphone app in men who present to hospital with intentional self-harm.

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Trauma-related childhood hospital admission linked with self-harm and violent crime in young adults

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Emily Stapley summarises a recent Danish national cohort study, which looks at self-harm and violent criminality among young people who experienced trauma-related childhood hospital admission.

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Smoke-free policy in psychiatric hospitals associated with reduction in physical violence

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Olivia Maynard reports on a new study in The Lancet Psychiatry that explores the effect of implementing a smoke-free policy on physical violence in a psychiatric inpatient setting, which has some surprising findings.

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Bridging the gap between mental and physical healthcare in general hospitals #TreatAsOne

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Kirsten Lawson presents the findings and recommendations of the recent National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death #TreatAsOne report.

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Finding the right care in a crisis

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Derek Tracy writes his debut Mental Elf blog on a recent study that explored the clinical factors that impacted on outcomes in crisis resolution services across two large mental health Trusts in London.

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The weekend effect in mental health services: new evidence suggests no increased risk of suicide, inpatient mortality or seclusion

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Laura Hemming reviews two recent studies that investigate whether patients admitted to a psychiatric hospital at the weekend had worse clinical outcomes, as well as the specific weekend versus weekday incidences of suicide in very high-risk mental health patients.

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Avoidable admissions: time to ask the patients?

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Alison Turner on a study that reports the views of older patients and practitioners on hospital admissions; providing insights into urgent care from an older person’s perspective.

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