Mental Illness
Definition
A mental illness is a psychiatric disorder that results in a disruption in a person's thinking, feeling, moods, and ability to relate to others.
Types of Mental Illness
Psychosis:
Psychosis is a psychiatric classification for a mental state in which the perception of reality is distorted. Persons experiencing a psychotic episode may experience hallucinations (often auditory or visual hallucinations), hold paranoid or delusional beliefs, experience personality changes and exhibit disorganised thinking. This is sometimes accompanied by features such as a lack of insight into the unusual or bizarre nature of their behaviour, difficulties with social interaction and impairments in carrying out the activities of daily living. (From Wikipedia)
Neurosis:
A neurosis, in psychoanalytic theory, is an ineffectual coping strategy that Sigmund Freud suggested was caused by emotions from past experience overwhelming or interfering with present experience. For example, someone attacked by a dog as a toddler may have a phobia or overwhelming fear of dogs.
There are many different specific neuroses and many of them are named: pyromania, obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety neurosis, and an endless variety of phobias.
Mental Health act 1983
The Mental Health Act 1983 has a number of sections that provide powers for involuntary detention, hospitalisation or other medical treatment for people affected by mental illness. The use of these sections of the Act is known as sectioning.
Section 2:
Admission for Assessment - This is the most common way of
detaining people. It allows for a patient to be compulsorily
detained in hospital for assessment or assessment followed by
treatment for a period of up to 28 days. It cannot be renewed
or extended either by a further section 2 or by use of nurses
and doctors powers under Section 5: If a person needs further
detention Section 3 should be used.
The grounds for the Application, are that the patient is
"suffering from mental disorder of a nature or degree which
warrants the detention of the patient in a hospital for
assessment (or for assessment followed by medical treatment)
for at least a limited period; and he ought to be so detained
in the interests of his own health or safety or with a view to
the protection of other persons".
Applications can be made by an Approved Social worker or by
your nearest relative. They must be based on two medical
recommendations. Preferably at least one of the Doctors will
have had previous knowledge to the patient.
Section 3:
Admission for Treatment - This section allows a patient to be
detained in hospital for treatment. It is used when if
following a Section 2 the patient needs a further period of
detention or when the patient is well known to the clinical
team and it is felt that a treatment plan can start straight
away.
Applications can be made by an Approved Social worker (ASW)
or by the patient's nearest relative. They must be based on two
medical recommendations. Preferably at least one of the Doctors
will have had previous knowledge of the patient. (if neither of
the doctors knew you why are they doing a section 3?).
The applicant must have seen the patient within the previous 14
days from the making of the application, as must the doctors.
The 2 Doctors must have examined the patient within 5 days of
each other. If an ASW is making the application he should
consult with the patient's nearest relative unless it would
cause unreasonable delay. If the nearest relative objects then
the admission cannot proceed.
The initial duration is for up to 6 months. This can be renewed
for a further 6 months and then further renewed for 12 month
periods.
Section 4:
Emergency Assessment - Section 4 allows for compulsory
admission to a hospital for assessment in cases of emergency.
It can be used in place of a Section 2 where there is extreme
urgency and the delay that would be caused by implementing a
Section 2 is not acceptable (the Act uses the term 'undesirable
delay').
It requires an application by an Approved Social Worker or
your nearest relative. This has to be based on a recommendation
from 1 Doctor. The Doctor should be one who knows you or who
has been approved under Section12 of the Act.
It can last for up to 72 hours. During that time, if a second
Medical Recommendation is made, the Section 4 is converted into
a Section 2.
Section 131: Informal Admission - There is nothing in this Act that should stop a patient entering hospital on an informal basis. It also says that a patient can remain as an informal patient once the section that they were under has come to an end. If they are an informal patient they can discharge themselves from hospital at any time unless they are placed on a section 5.
Section 135:
Place of Safety Order (Private) - This Section is divided into
2 parts.
Part A allows an approved
social worker to apply to a magistrate for a warrant which
will allow a police officer to enter premises where it is
thought the patient is, (using force if needed - they can break
in), in order to search for, and if thought fit, remove them,
and take them to a Place of
Safety.
The purpose of this is to allow the patient to be assessed to
see if they need admission to hospital, or for other
arrangements for their care to be made.
Part B allows a police officer to apply for a warrant to enter premises when seeking to re-take you if you are already Sectioned and liable to be detained, but you are absent without leave. If this happens an approved social worker and a doctor can accompany the police, but this is not compulsory.
This section lasts for up to 72 hours from the time that the patient arrive at the Place of Safety. This cannot be extended or renewed. During this time they should be assessed. The section 135 ceases to have effect as soon as they have been assessed and any arrangements made for their treatment or care..
Section 136:
Place of Safety Order (Public) - If a patient is in a place to
which the public have access and a police officer thinks that
they may have a mental disorder, and are in need of immediate
care and control, then he can take them to a place of safety for their own
protection, or for the protection of others.
Just the fact they have a mental disorder isn't enough; they
have to be causing 'bother' or appear to be at risk in some
way.
The patient can be held there for up to 72 hours to allow them
to be seen by a doctor and an approved social worker, and for
any necessary arrangements for their care to be made. Once this
has been done the section ceases to be in effect.
A place of safety can be:
- A police station.
- A hospital.
- A mental nursing home or residential home for people with a mental disorder.
- A residential home provided by the social services.
- Any suitable place of which the occupier is willing to have you.
Usually a hospital is the preferred place. If it is felt that there could be some risk to yourself or others if you went there, then a police station could be used.
Approved
Social Worker: Under this section local
authorities have a duty to appoint a sufficient number of
approved social workers (ASW's) to carry out the functions
described in the Mental Health Act.
An approved social worker must be appointed by a local
authority - no one else can do this. So though other
organisations can appoint social workers, they cannot be
approved under this Act.
Though they are bound by the terms and conditions of their
employment with the local authority, approved social workers
act in a personal capacity when undertaking functions and
duties under the Mental Health Act.
To be an approved social worker they have to be 'approved' as
having appropriate competence in dealing with people suffering
from mental disorder.
Thanks
Many thanks to Mark Walton for allowing me to copy extracts from his site on Mental Health issues