Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-xbtfd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-07T23:32:32.847Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Mental health review tribunals

A follow-up of reviewed patients

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 January 2018

D. H. Myers
D. H. Myers*
Affiliation:
Shelton Hospital, Shrewsbury SY3 8DN
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Background

Mental health legislation allows for treatment needs to override civil liberty. Mental health review tribunals act as a counterbalance. This study examines the long-term outcome of patients reviewed by a tribunal, and in particular whether the tribunal, in its concern for civil liberty, might be discharging patients prematurely.

Method

All non-offender patients from a defined catchment area reviewed by the tribunal between the inception of the 1983 Mental Health Act and 31 December 1991 were followed-up until 31 May 1993.

Results

Those discharged by the tribunal did not differ significantly from those refused discharge in subsequent survival period in the community, in readmission rate or in final outcome.

Conclusions

Within the limitations of a non-experimental study, the main hypothesis was not supported. An intensive study of family and personal life in the three months after discharge would cast useful additional light on the soundness of tribunal decisions.

Type
Papers
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 170 , Issue 3 , March 1997 , pp. 253 - 256
Copyright
Copyright © 1997 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Aarvold, Sir C. (1973) Report on the Review of Procedures for the Discharge and Supervision of Psychiatric Patierts Subject to Special Restriction. Cmnd 5191. London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office.Google Scholar
Aitkin, M., Anderson, D., Francls, B., et al (1989) Statistical Modelling in GLIM. Oxford: Clarendon Press.Google Scholar
Birley, J. T. L. (1991) Psychiatrists and citizens. British Journal of Psychiatry. 159, 1–6. Google Scholar
Feldman, D. (1993) Civil Liberties and Human Rights in England and Woles. Oxford: Clarendon Press.Google Scholar
Gostin, L. O. (1975) A Human Condition, vol. I. London: MIND.Google Scholar
Gostin, L. O. & Fennell, P. (1992) Mental health: Tribunal Proceedure (2nd edn). London: Longmans.Google Scholar
Jones, R. (1994) Mental Health Act Manual (4th edn). London: Sweet and Maxwell.Google Scholar
Mason, J. K. & McCall Smith, R. A. (1994) Law and medical ethics. In Human Rights, Psychiatry and the Law. London: Butterworths.Google Scholar
McCreadle, R. G., Robertson, L. J. & Wiles, D. H. (1992) The Nithdale schizophrenic surveys. IX: Akathisia, Parkinsonism, tardive dyskinesia and plasma neuroleptic levels.Google Scholar
Paay, J. (1989) Tribunals on Trial. Oxford: Clarendon Press.Google Scholar
Wood, Sir J. (1995) The challenge of individual rights. Mental health review tribunals. British Journal of Psychiatry 164, 417–420.Google Scholar
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.