Referrals and outcomes of assessment for compulsory admission under the mental health act 1983 in Norfolk, England

Introduction A significant number of people are not detained in hospital following assessment under the Mental Health Act 1983 (MHA) for possible detention. However, since amendments in 2007, some studies show an increase in total patient detentions. There is currently a lack of published research describing both outcomes and their affecting variables. Objectives To determine rates, outcomes and affecting variables of MHA assessments in Norfolk, 2001–2011. Methods This observational study involved data collection from all 11,509 referrals for detention assessment under the MHA. Data was collected by Norfolk Social Services from 2001–2011 including age, gender and marital status. Results Following assessment, 6903 (60.0%) were admitted; of those, 1157 (16.8%) were voluntary and 5746 (83.2%) were detained; 4606 (40%) were not admitted. Admission rates for males (50.4%) and females (49.5%) were similar. Detention rates increased with age: 37.6% of Conclusions The finding that a higher proportion of married than single people, and of those living with others versus living alone, were detained following assessment is unexpected but significant and needs further investigation.