Rebecca Murphy1, David McGuinness1, Emma Bainbridge1, Liz Brosnan1, Heike Felzmann1, Mary Keys1, Kathy Murphy1, Brian Hallahan1, Colm McDonald1, Agnes Higgins1. 1. Dr. Rebecca Murphy and Dr. Higgins are with the School of Nursing and Midwifery, Trinity College, The University of Dublin, Dublin. The other authors are with the National University of Ireland, Galway. Dr. McGuinness and Dr. Kathy Murphy are with the School of Nursing and Midwifery; Dr. Bainbridge, Dr. Hallahan, and Dr. McDonald are with the Department of Psychiatry; Dr. Brosnan is with the Centre for Disability Law and Policy; Dr. Felzmann is with the Centre of Bioethics Research and Analysis, Department of Philosophy; and Dr. Keys is with the School of Law.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to explore the experiences of individuals admitted to the hospital involuntarily under the Mental Health Act 2001 in the Republic of Ireland. METHODS: In this qualitative descriptive study, 50 individuals who had been involuntarily admitted to a hospital underwent face-to-face semistructured interviews approximately three months after revocation of the involuntary admission order. Data were analyzed by using an inductive thematic process. RESULTS: Participants reported mixed experiences over the course of the admission, with both positive and challenging aspects. Participants reported feeling coerced, disempowered, and unsupported at various stages of the admission and highlighted the long-term deleterious impact on their psychological well-being. However, participants also described encounters with individuals who endeavored to initiate a collaborative, informative, and compassionate approach. Four key themes emerged consistently across the trajectory of participants' involuntary admission experiences: feeling trapped and coerced, feeling disengaged and unsupported, admission-induced distress, and person-centered encounters. CONCLUSIONS: This qualitative study of service users' views across the entire trajectory of their involuntary admission identified a number of factors that should be addressed to reduce the negative impact of involuntary admission. A multifaceted strategy could include ongoing education and training of all stakeholders in the principles and practices of person-centered care, repeated provision of accessible information and emotional support to service users during all stages of involuntary admission, and a shift in culture to one that minimizes the traumatic impact of forced detention on individuals' psychological well-being.
OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to explore the experiences of individuals admitted to the hospital involuntarily under the Mental Health Act 2001 in the Republic of Ireland. METHODS: In this qualitative descriptive study, 50 individuals who had been involuntarily admitted to a hospital underwent face-to-face semistructured interviews approximately three months after revocation of the involuntary admission order. Data were analyzed by using an inductive thematic process. RESULTS:Participants reported mixed experiences over the course of the admission, with both positive and challenging aspects. Participants reported feeling coerced, disempowered, and unsupported at various stages of the admission and highlighted the long-term deleterious impact on their psychological well-being. However, participants also described encounters with individuals who endeavored to initiate a collaborative, informative, and compassionate approach. Four key themes emerged consistently across the trajectory of participants' involuntary admission experiences: feeling trapped and coerced, feeling disengaged and unsupported, admission-induced distress, and person-centered encounters. CONCLUSIONS: This qualitative study of service users' views across the entire trajectory of their involuntary admission identified a number of factors that should be addressed to reduce the negative impact of involuntary admission. A multifaceted strategy could include ongoing education and training of all stakeholders in the principles and practices of person-centered care, repeated provision of accessible information and emotional support to service users during all stages of involuntary admission, and a shift in culture to one that minimizes the traumatic impact of forced detention on individuals' psychological well-being.
Entities:
Keywords:
Involuntary admission; Ireland; Law; Mental Health Act; Patient perceptions; Patient rights; Quality of care; Tribunal
Authors: Joanne E Plahouras; Shobha Mehta; Daniel Z Buchman; George Foussias; Zafiris J Daskalakis; Daniel M Blumberger Journal: Eur Psychiatry Date: 2020-05-14 Impact factor: 5.361
Authors: David McGuinness; Kathy Murphy; Emma Bainbridge; Liz Brosnan; Mary Keys; Heike Felzmann; Brian Hallahan; Colm McDonald; Agnes Higgins Journal: BJPsych Open Date: 2018-11-16