[Compulsory admissions from a psychiatric ward and an A&E ward in a general hospital (2005-2014)]

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Public Health

Background:

• Limited data exists on compulsory admissions from psychiatric and A&E wards.
• The incidence of compulsory admissions appears to be rising.

Purpose of the Study:

• To estimate the incidence of compulsory admissions.
• To identify underlying diagnoses for compulsory admissions from psychiatric and A&E wards at Imelda Hospital (Bonheiden) over a decade.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of patient records.
• Inclusion of all patients compulsorily referred from psychiatric and A&E wards between 2005 and 2014.

Main Results:

• An increasing trend in compulsory admissions was observed from both ward types.
• Men were slightly more likely to undergo compulsory admission procedures than women.
• A&E ward patients primarily had psychotic disorders and substance abuse issues; psychiatric ward patients mainly had mood and psychotic disorders.

Conclusions:

• Findings align with comparable studies on compulsory admissions.
• Substance-related disorders were infrequently the primary diagnosis for compulsory admissions from psychiatric wards.