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Nearly 25% of children & teens involuntarily admitted to psychiatric hospital (stats) - C C - Apr 28, 2021
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2021-04/tl-n2o042721.php
INTRO: For the first time, researchers have systematically analysed social and clinical factors associated with psychiatric hospital admission of children and adolescents, finding nearly one-quarter (23.6%) were admitted involuntarily. The study was published in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health journal.
Researchers also found that children and adolescents who were involuntarily hospitalised were nearly three times more likely to belong to a Black rather than a white ethnic group than those hospitalised voluntarily and more likely to have a diagnosis of psychosis, substance misuse, or intellectual disability.
Involuntary hospitalisation is a legal procedure used to compel an individual to receive inpatient treatment for a mental health disorder against his or her will. Mental health legislation varies nationally and regionally, with different legal criteria for involuntary hospitalisation. There is growing evidence from research into adult psychiatric hospitalisations that factors outside of those described in mental health legislation, including race and ethnicity, can influence whether someone is admitted voluntarily or not. Until now, little research has investigated social and clinical factors that may affect whether children and adolescents are admitted involuntarily to psychiatric hospitals.
Lead author, Dr Susan Walker from UCL, UK said: "This is the first research to systematically examine involuntary admission to psychiatric hospitals for children and adolescents and our results clearly warrant further discussion and analysis to understand what is behind the discrepancies in the use of involuntary over voluntary hospitalisation among different groups. Although involuntary hospitalisation is designed to offer protection to those who are temporarily unable to look after and make decisions for themselves due to the presence of a mental disorder, being admitted against one's will can be a traumatic experience at any age. The number of children and adolescents being admitted to hospital involuntarily is growing in some countries, including the UK, but research into the factors associated with involuntary hospitalisation among young people is surprisingly limited. Understanding why some people may be more likely to be admitted without their consent is key to understanding how we can reduce the numbers of involuntary admissions."
The review identified 23 studies that included information on whether children and adolescents were admitted to hospital voluntarily or involuntarily. The studies were from 11 high-income countries, representing 41,271 young inpatients in total. Researchers amalgamated and analysed data from 19 studies (31,212 participants) to assess the association with 10 clinical and social factors.
For young people with psychosis, the odds of an involuntary rather than voluntary hospitalisation were more than three times higher than for those without psychosis. However, a diagnosis of anxiety was associated with voluntary rather than involuntary hospitalisation, as was a diagnosis of behavioural problems such as ADHD and conduct disorder. For young people with a primary diagnosis of substance misuse the odds of an involuntarily rather than voluntary hospitalisation were nearly twice as high.
For children and young people, the distinction between voluntary and involuntary hospitalisation is not always clear... (MORE)