Are there any guidelines for informal psych ward admission?

Steel Maiden · 23-03-2009, 05:36 PM

I know being sectioned involves a mental health act assessment, but is there any set way that doctors decide whether you should go into hospital informally, or do they do it just by their gut feeling?

trechu · 23-03-2009, 05:59 PM

From my experience, doctors prefer people to be admitted informally. Usually if you're a danger to yourself, but you turn up for a psych appointment, they suggest informal admission, or if you're in A&E but are willing to be admitted.

Also, if you feel it would benefit you, and you ask to be admitted, you're admitted informally.

Steel Maiden · 23-03-2009, 07:44 PM

Ok thanks.

Katiee · 23-03-2009, 07:56 PM

I don't know anything about it, sweet. sorry. xo.

Breeze · 23-03-2009, 08:13 PM

It is similer to an assesment under the MH act in some ways. Usual questions etc. It is often with a Dr you may know more as s/he is ya OP Dr. It may be your CPN or worker that wants you admitted or you may feel it would help you then you could ask.

Sleepless123 · 23-03-2009, 09:05 PM

Yeah i agree with the others.

i have never been sectioned [only threatened with it!].

But was admitted to psychiatric wards a few times a few years ago voluntarily/informally.

Generally they just ask a lot of questions like you are probably used to like whats going on for you, your history and background, your family history, what symptoms you are currently experiencing, how safe you feel you are etc and then based on all of that [and anything else ive forgotten!] it will then be down to both what you and they think as to whether informal admission is offered and whether you/they think it would benefit you at the time.

i hope you dont mind me saying but i know you have been sectioned before.If you feel that you may need to be back in hospital or that it might benefit you i think it would be really positive if you could ask to be admitted informally.

im not saying that this is whats going on for you but if it is id definitely advise you to ask/talk about it with your workers!

i know its often hard especially when people are very ill but i think its great when a patient can be aware of when they may need extra support/help whether in the hospital or in the community.

And it can show great insight, awareness and maturity to manage to ask for this too!

im not aware of any official guidelines doctors use for deciding about informal admission and from my experiences [a few years ago though!] to be honest i think that it can often perhaps quite well depend on who you see etc but there may well be some procedure/guidelines written down somewhere.

Or at least indicators of how they may assess risk etc.

If there is i hope you find it!Hope you are ok or at least as ok as you can be.

Take care.

startingagain · 24-03-2009, 12:32 AM

The MIND site has some useful information. It is better to "choose" to go.

Steel Maiden · 24-03-2009, 03:00 PM

Thanks guys especially thanks Kath.

Yes I've been sectioned before, 3 times on section 2. But I've also been informally loads of times.

I get the feeling too that it depends on which doctor you see. I've had some doctors send me to hospital informally for threatening to OD, yet I had one doctor send me home after the police brought me in.

So I guess it varies.

starnight · 24-03-2009, 10:57 PM

It does vary alot, i was admitted informallly tough i know someone who was 'told' to come in, though not sectioned. As you said you have been admitted both ways, from what I remember when I was admitted, they did ask me, but also looked to my family as I wasn't very well at the time. Explaining it would be better for me to be there voluntarily etc. I had an assessment straight away with an attending and a full admissions profile, then i was left to sleep and the next day went through a lot of it again with the nrse, but this time it was for the nurses to build some sort of care plan whereas with the doc it was to give them an idea of what was going on with me.

I think its if they feel you are a danger to yourself, or if you need the break and they have a bed. And i know ths last part as a couple of years ago i was not a danger to myself or anyone around me but i was offered a bed because they felt the 'break' (as such) would help,as I'm a single parent and even if I was to go to a family members house I would still be looking ater my child and the house no matter how much hep I got (I hope this makes sense) I chose not to go and got the help I needed at home instead as they had someone with me everyday and the first souple of day my family were asked to stay with my 24/7 to help me through it. (sory hope th\tlast bit made some sense)

Devil Girl · 24-03-2009, 11:45 PM

When I first got put in hospital it happened quickly. I had gone to student support, and they had forgotten that the woman I was seeing was upstairs. As I waited I got more and more stressed, I was hearing things, but I don't know if they realised that. I went and saw another woman who covered some of my cuts and then they remembered my worker was upstairs. A CPN was also upstairs, and within 30mins I was at the dr's surgery, as they had to see me, then I was at psych hospital talking to a dr for what felt like hours. I kept saying I couldn't stay, but they didn't talk about sectioning but I don't feel like I had a choice. It was a long assesment.

The second time was like a week after I got out. I was at a&e for an overdose (the uni had taken me). I got assessed there but didn't really get a choice, but wasn't sectioned. I just had to do it.

The third time (this is when I get a bit confused about all my admissions too many ambulances and psych hosp admissions in a short time!) i had been on a drip all day, then went to a different psych hosp but didn't get admitted, based on the fact someone from uni could pick me up and take me back to halls.

Forth time, may be the time I got sectioned, this was done in the local hospital and I basicallly got a bed as soon as I went into hospital. They knew me by this point.

I had a few a&e visits after this, was on a heart monitor etc, but just got sent home. The later times I was in a worse condition, but I think because I had been presented before they didn't take it seriously. Though each time I was worse. So didn't even really get seen to!

The last visit to hosp was when I got picked up by police I think...I got threatened either you stay or you get sectioned.

As time went on the interviews got shorter, and less formal. The ones to get out were still long but I knew how to do them...

I think it depends on each dr and what they have delt with that day. Like if they have just had a patient who is very very ill, and barely any beds, they will be thinking you aren't as bad. Plus once there is a file on you they will make judgements based on what has previously happened.

Also the uni seemed to have a lot of hold over what they did with me. If they didn't want me back until I was more stable, the hospital would keep me, even if they thought I would be okay if there was someone to stay with me. But the uni said no.

When I got sectioned it was two dr's ( I think one was something different cause he covered all of the region) but the time when I was threatened it would have been the one dr in the hosp who did it!

Each time was different....I don't know if that helps. Plus the two different hospitals were very different! I had to have a nurse with me at all times in one hosp.

Steel Maiden · 26-03-2009, 12:16 PM

Thanks guys.

I went to psych hospital for two weeks in Cambridge Uni and I got chucked out because I missed too many lectures. But they're accepting me back in October. I feel like I can't get ill when I go to uni, which will be a bit of a pressure.

I've had admissions ranging from:
My Mum getting drunk and me threatening to take an OD so I got admitted, but I discharged myself after one day lol.
To:
Police taking me handcuffed in the back of a riot car to a secure unit and on a section 136, then me refusing to stay in hospial, so they put me on a section 2.

So I guess it varies, depending on:
How ill you are.
What doctor/police officers you get.
If you've hurt yourself, how badly you've hurt yourself.
And I suppose, to some extent, if you live alone or not, because they feel more comfortable you going home to your Mum than you going home to an empty flat.

starnight · 27-03-2009, 12:49 AM

It's good about you going back to uni, try not to feel too worried about it. I know you are worried about if you are ill you wont get the work done etc. Would there be anyone there you could talk to about it and see if there is any sort of support for you incase you do get ill again?

Steel Maiden · 27-03-2009, 03:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by starnight

It's good about you going back to uni, try not to feel too worried about it. I know you are worried about if you are ill you wont get the work done etc. Would there be anyone there you could talk to about it and see if there is any sort of support for you incase you do get ill again?

Thanks. I have a really good support system at my uni so I'm hoping that I will not get too ill. I suppose if my symptoms get worse they can raise my medication.
I just hope I get a decent psychiatrist in Cambridge.