Exploring pathways to compulsory detention in psychiatric hospital and ways to prevent repeat detentions : Service user perspectives

Birken, Mary and Kular, Ariana and Nyikavaranda, Patrick and Parkinson, Jordan and Mitchell, Lizzie and Fraser, Kathleen Lindsay and White, Valerie Christina and Seale, Janet and Hardy, Jackie and Stone, Cady and Holden, Mark Keith and Elliot, Tyler and Li, Zishi and Mbeah-Bankas, Henrietta and Wood, Lisa and Lobban, Fiona and Lloyd-Evans, Brynmor and Johnson, Sonia (2025) Exploring pathways to compulsory detention in psychiatric hospital and ways to prevent repeat detentions : Service user perspectives. PLOS Mental Health, 2 (9): e0000417. ISSN 2837-8156

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Abstract

This study, co-produced by a team of academics, lived experience researchers and clinicians, explores the views and experiences of people who have been compulsorily detained in hospital under the Mental Health Act (1983) (MHA) in England, to understand how and why, from their perspective, compulsory detentions occur, and what might help prevent them. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with 20 people (55% male, 40% Black/Black British, 30% White British) who had been compulsory detained in hospital within the past 5 years. Lived experience researchers with relevant personal experience carried out interviews via telephone or videoconference and participated in analysis of data via a template approach. We derived three over-arching themes from interviews. The first theme “Individual factors increasing or reducing likelihood of being detained” encompassed factors related to people’s own lives and attitudes, including life stressors, not taking medication as prescribed, the risk individuals may pose to themselves or others, and their attitude to and management of their mental health. The second theme “Family and Social Network” reflects how attitudes and quality of support from family, friends and social network may contribute to compulsory detentions or help people to stay well. The third theme “Need for improvement in Service Responses” identified limitations of services that contribute to detention, including lack of collaborative care and choice, poor quality of professional support, and discriminatory attitudes from staff. Each theme also included potential approaches to addressing these limitations and reducing compulsory detentions. Findings suggest multiple interacting factors may lead to people being detained in hospital under the MHA, and that improvements to services, such as increasing collaborative care and service user-led family involvement, could prevent further detentions.