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Chapter 8 - Absconding

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 March 2024

By
Roland Dix
Edited by
Roland Dix ,
Stephen Dye  and
Stephen M. Pereira
Roland Dix
Affiliation:
Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust, Gloucester
Stephen Dye
Affiliation:
Norfolk and Suffolk Foundation Trust, Ipswich
Stephen M. Pereira
Affiliation:
Keats House, London
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Summary

Absconding from mental health inpatient facilities is a long-standing and significant issue. Absconding is a core admission criterion for transfer to the psychiatric intensive care unit (PICU).

Keywords

abscondingabsent without leave (AWOL)escapeescortMental Health Act (MHA)psychiatric intensive care unit (PICU)Section 17 leaveward culture
Type
Chapter
Information
Psychiatric Intensive Care , pp. 99 - 105
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2024

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References

Bailey, J, Page, B, Ndimande, N, Connell, J and Vincent, C (2016) Absconding: Reducing Failure to Return in Adult Mental Health Wards. BMJ Open Quality 5: u209837.w5117. DOI: http://10.1136/bmjquality.u209837.w5117.Google ScholarPubMed
Booth, B, Michel, S, Baglole, S, Healey, L and Robertson, H (2021) Validation of the Booth Evaluation of Absconding Tool for Assessment of Absconding Risk. Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law 49 (3) 339–49.Google ScholarPubMed
Bowers, L, Allan, T, Huglund, L, Mir-Cochrane, E, Nijman, H, Simpson, A, et al. (2008) The City 128 Extension: Locked Doors in Acute Psychiatry, Outcome and Acceptability. Report for the National Co-ordinating Centre for NHS Service Delivery and Organisation, R&D (NCCSDO). London: HMSO.Google Scholar
Bowers, L and Jarrett, C (2002) Absconding: A Literature Review. Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing 5 (5) 343–429.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bowers, L, Simpson, A and Alexander, J (2005) Real World Application of an Intervention to Reduce Absconding. Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing 12: 598–602.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Department of Health (2015) Mental Health Act 1983: Code of Practice. London: Department of Health.Google Scholar
Dickens, G, and Campbell, J (2001) Absconding of Patients from an Independent UK Psychiatric Hospital: A 3-Year Retrospective Analysis of Events and Characteristics of Absconders. Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing 8 (6) 543–50.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Exworthy, T and Wilson, S (2010) Escapes and Absconds from Secure Psychiatric Units. The Psychiatrist 34 (3) 81–2 DOI: doi.org/10.1192/pb.bp.108.024372.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Foye, U. Li, Y, Birken, M. Parle, K and Simpson, A (2020) Activities on Acute Mental Health Inpatient Wards: A Narrative Synthesis of the Service Users’ Perspective. Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing 27 (4) 482–93.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gilburt, H, Rose, D and Slade, M (2008) The Importance of Relationships in Mental Health Care: A Qualitative Study of Service Users’ Experiences of Psychiatric Hospital Admission in the UK. BMC Health Services Research 8 (92) DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6963-8-92.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
HSC Public Health Agency (2015) Pilot: Implementation of an Anti-Absconding Intervention South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust. https://hscbusiness.hscni.net/pdf/Report_on_Absconding_PilotFinal_Doc.pdf.Google Scholar
Huber, CG, Schneeberger, AR, Kowalinski, E, Frölich, D, von Felten, S, Walter, M, et al. (2016) Suicide Risk and Absconding in Psychiatric Hospitals with and without Open Door Policies: A 15 Year, Observational Study. Lancet Psychiatry. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(16)30168-7.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
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Muir-Cochrane, E, Oster, C, Grotto, J, Gerace, A and Jones, J (2013) The Inpatient Psychiatric Unit as Both a Safe and Unsafe Place: Implications for Absconding. Journal of Mental Health Nursing 22 (4) 304–12.Google ScholarPubMed
National Association of Psychiatric Intensive Care and Low Secure Units (NAPICU) (2017) Design Guidance for Psychiatric Intensive Care Units. Glasgow: NAPICU. https://napicu.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Design-Guidance-for-Psychiatric-Intensive-Care-Units-2017.pdf.Google Scholar
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  • Absconding
  • Edited by Roland Dix, Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust, Gloucester, Stephen Dye, Norfolk and Suffolk Foundation Trust, Ipswich, Stephen M. Pereira, Keats House, London
  • Book: Psychiatric Intensive Care
  • Online publication: 15 March 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108976770.012
Available formats
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Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

  • Absconding
  • Edited by Roland Dix, Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust, Gloucester, Stephen Dye, Norfolk and Suffolk Foundation Trust, Ipswich, Stephen M. Pereira, Keats House, London
  • Book: Psychiatric Intensive Care
  • Online publication: 15 March 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108976770.012
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Absconding
  • Edited by Roland Dix, Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust, Gloucester, Stephen Dye, Norfolk and Suffolk Foundation Trust, Ipswich, Stephen M. Pereira, Keats House, London
  • Book: Psychiatric Intensive Care
  • Online publication: 15 March 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108976770.012
Available formats
×