Mental Health Act Flashcards
WHat is the mental health act (MHA) used for?
Ensure patients with mental disorders impairing their judgement receive effective treatment
What are the 10 Millan Principles upheld in the Mental Health Act (MHA)?
- Non Discrimination
- Equality
- Respect for Diversity
- Reciprocity
- Informal Care
- Participation
- Respect for Carers
- Least Restrictive
- Benefit
- Child Welfare (no lower age limit on mental health act)
WHat are the 5 criteria which must be met for detainment under the MHA?
- (Likely) Mental Disorder
- Significantly Impaired Decision Making Ability
- Determining treatment required (Giving treatment – STD and CTO)
- Significant risk (safety of patient or others)
- Informal/voluntary care not appropriate
What IS considered a mental disorder that would allow detainment under the MHA?
Mental Illness
Learning Disability
Personality Disorder
What is NOT considered a mental disorder that would allow detainment under the MHA?
- Sexual orientation/deviancy
- Transsexualism/Transvestism
- Alcohol/drug dependence
- Behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress
- Acting as no other prudent person would act
Why is incapacity different from “Significantly Impaired Decision Making Ability” (SIDMA)?
SIDMA = mental disorder alone
Incapacity = also disease of the brain, physical disability, impaired cognition
HOw should SIDMA be documented properly to prove their decision making is impaired?
- Explain symptoms they are experiencing
- What mental disorder this links to
- How this impairs their decision making
Aside from medical treatment, what other treatment can be given under the mental health act?
Nursing care Psychological interventions Rehabilitation ECT Refeeding Specialist intervention (OT, SALT, Dietetics)
What would indicate that a patient is a risk to themself?
- Suicide
- Self harm
- Wandering (e.g. in dementia)
- Vulnerability
- Deterioration in mental state
- Physical health – starvation, dehydration
- Poor self care
- Retaliation from others due to aggressive behaviour
What would make you concerned that a patient is a risk to others?
Aggression Violence Sexual assault Intimidation Arson
WHen would hospital admission be seen as the “least restrictive option”?
If patient is:
- refusing to remain in hospital
- Incapable of making a decision about remaining in hospital
- Unable to be treated in the community due to level of risk
- Community treatment failed
What is an Emergency Detention Order?
Patient with a likely mental disorder can be detained for up to 72 hours (should be reassessed every 24 hours or so to make sure this is still appropriate)
Does NOT authorise DR to give any treatment
No right of appeal => patient cannot contact solicitor for legal action
Who can issue an Emergency Detention Order?
Fully registered doctor (FY2 and above)
Where possible, a mental health officer (MHO)
should also agree to it
What is a Short Term Detention?
A patient with a likely mental disorder can be detained for up to 28 days for assessment/treatment
Patients have the right to appeal => can get a lawyer involved if they wish
For how long can a Short Term Detention be extended?
3 days if extra time needed to put together CTO application
OR 5 days once CTO application submitted