Bonnet, Michael and Moran, Nicola orcid.org/0000-0002-6219-0394 (2020) Why Do Approved Mental Health Professionals Think Detentions under the Mental Health Act Are Rising and What Do They Think Should Be Done about It? British Journal of Social Work. pp. 616-633. ISSN 0045-3102
Abstract
The number of people detained under the 1983 Mental Health Act has risen significantly in recent years and has recently been the subject of an independent review. Most existing research into the rise in detentions has tended to prioritise the perspectives of psychiatrists and failed to consider the views of Approved Mental Health Professionals (AMHPs), usually social workers, who ultimately determine whether detention is appropriate. This mixed-methods study focused on AMHPs’ views on the reasons behind the rise in detentions and potential solutions. It included a national online survey of AMHPs (n = 160) and semi-structured interviews with six AMHPs within a Community Mental Health Team in England. AMHPs reported that demand for mental health services vastly exceeded supply and, due to inadequate resources, more people were being detained in hospital. AMHPs argued that greater investment in preventative mental health services and ‘low intensity’ support would help to mitigate the impact of social risk factors on mental health; and greater investment in crisis services, including non-medical alternatives to hospital, was required. Such investment at either end of the spectrum was expected to be more effective than changes to the law and lead to better outcomes for mental health service users.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of York |
Academic Units: | The University of York > Research Groups (York) > Social Policy Research Unit (York) |
Depositing User: | Pure (York) |
Date Deposited: | 27 Nov 2020 14:40 |
Last Modified: | 29 Jan 2025 00:07 |
Published Version: | https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcaa001 |
Status: | Published |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1093/bjsw/bcaa001 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:168502 |
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Description: AMHP views on rising detentions and solutions