Involuntary psychiatric admission in Cyprus: A descriptive correlational study

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Mental Health Research
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• Understanding involuntary psychiatric admissions is crucial for developing targeted interventions.
• Socio-demographic and clinical factors influence compulsory psychiatric care.
• Research on these characteristics can inform alternatives to involuntary hospitalization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the association between socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of adults undergoing involuntary psychiatric hospitalization in Cyprus.
• To identify factors contributing to compulsory psychiatric treatment.
• To inform the development of interventions aimed at reducing involuntary admissions.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive, cross-sectional, and correlational study was conducted.
• Data were collected via census sampling from December 2016 to February 2018.
• Socio-demographic and clinical data of individuals with psychotic symptomatology admitted involuntarily were recorded.

Main Results:

• The sample comprised 144 females and 262 males, with schizophrenia or psychotic disorders being the most frequent diagnosis (72.9%).
• Common admission reasons included disorganized behavior and non-adherence to pharmacotherapy (53.7%).
• Substance use history (42.8%) was more prevalent in males, who were also more frequently admitted for disorganized behavior with substance use and suicidal/self-harming behavior. Females were more often admitted for disorganized behavior with non-adherence to pharmacotherapy.

Conclusions:

• Significant gender differences exist in the clinical characteristics and reasons for involuntary psychiatric hospitalization.
• These findings underscore the necessity for gender-specific interventions.
• Enhancing therapy adherence is a key strategy to decrease the need for compulsory psychiatric care.