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Characteristics of the Detained and Informal Child and Adolescent Psychiatric In‐Patient Populations
Author(s) -
Mears Alex,
White Richard,
O'Herlihy Anne,
Worrall Adrian,
Banerjee Sube,
Jaffa Tony,
Hill Peter,
Lelliott Paul
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
child and adolescent mental health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.912
H-Index - 46
eISSN - 1475-3588
pISSN - 1475-357X
DOI - 10.1111/1475-3588.00059
Subject(s) - psychiatry , mental health , psychosocial , census , medicine , population , mood , child and adolescent psychiatry , psychiatric diagnosis , schizophrenia (object oriented programming) , family medicine , psychology , environmental health
Background: This project surveyed the use of the Children Act and the Mental Health Act in in‐patient child and adolescent mental health services in England and Wales. Methods: Data were collected as a day census from child and adolescent psychiatric inpatient units, questionnaire forms completed by consultant psychiatrists or key‐workers. Returns were received from 71 of the 80 units. Results: One hundred and twenty‐seven of the 663 patients had been admitted formally, the great majority under a section of the Mental Health Act. Compared with those admitted informally, those admitted formally were older, contained a higher proportion of males and had ‘adult‐type diagnoses’, mainly schizophrenia, mood disorders and personality disorder. The clinical and psychosocial characteristics of formal and informal patients were consistent with these differences. Conclusions: This study provides a timely and useful snapshot of the use of the Acts in this population.