Mental health hospital (A guide)

In this brief article, we will be discussing mental health hospital, the psychiatrist in a mental health hospital, the meaning of mental health hospital admission, and more information about mental health hospital.

Why would you need to go to a mental health hospital?

You would need to go to a mental health hospital because you might be experiencing the event of a mental health crisis.

You will also need to go to this kind of hospital due to the exhibition of the following conditions:

• you need to be admitted for a short time for prolonged psychological assessment
• there’s a potential danger to your safety if you don’t stay in the mental health hospital, for instance, if you are chronically self-harming or at potential danger of being compelled to suicidal thoughts
• there is a potential danger you could hurt someone else
• there isn’t a safe and secure method to heal you at home
• you need more intensive assistance than can be provided to you elsewhere.

Is mental health hospital treatment appropriate for me?

The experience of being treated in a mental health hospital will be based on:

• the mental health hospital you get admitted to
• what form of psychological treatment you will get
• your personal emotions and thoughts about being in a mental health hospital.

Some patients would rather entrust their trust in the mental health hospital but others aren’t considerate.

The following are some advantages and disadvantages of being admitted in this kind fo hospital:

Potential advantages

• You’re likely to have access to a variety of talking therapies or psychotherapies and psychotropic medication.
• Trained and experienced staff are nearby to assist you, for instance, if you feel like doing self-injury
• You might feel you’re getting a much-needed break from stressful events or complications.
• It can give organization in your day and there are people near you.

You can learn more about what goes on in the mental health hospital by buying this book on this website.

Potential disadvantages

• You can’t always choose what you do so there might be periods when you feel lethargic or have to do activities you don’t like
• You don’t have all your own stuff surrounding you.
• You won’t be able to have family or friends around you whenever you wish.
• Almost all mental health hospitals have single-sex sleeping placements but some may have combined facilities during the day which some people find it hard.
• You can’t always get out when you want or need to.
• You may be psychologically assessed under the Mental Health Act if you attempt to leave indefinitely

How can I access a service in a mental health hospital?

If you think that being admitted to a mental health hospital is appropriate for you, you need to ask your general practitioner or psychiatrist about this kind of decision.

If you would be willing to be admitted in this kind of hospital, you will be considered as a voluntary patient or informal patient. 

Being a voluntary patient is defined by the following:

• you should have the basic right to come and leave from the mental health hospital within justifiable reason
• you may discharge yourself if you choose to go home.

However, most mental health hospitals don’t have enough beds to accommodate patients who will be voluntarily or involuntarily admitted in this kind of hospital.

You can learn more about being voluntarily admitted in this kind of hospital by buying this book on this website.

Various kinds of wards in a mental health hospital

Here are the various kinds of wards in a mental health hospital which accommodates different kinds of mental health patients.

Acute ward

The acute ward is where you will first go to assess your eligibility to a psychological treatment.

This is where you will be psychologically assessed and diagnose you with a mental health problem. 

The acute ward contains patients with mental health problems that were voluntarily admitted and those who were involuntarily admitted under the Mental Health Act 1983 which will be discussed below.

You can learn more about the Mental Health Act by buying this book on this website.

Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit 

The psychiatric intensive care unit is where those patients who are seriously having mental ill-health.

The patients in this ward are more likely to cause harm upon themselves or others.

The mental health staff may relocate you from the acute ward to the psychiatric intensive unit or bring you immediately to the psychiatric intensive care unit.

In this ward, the patient will be able to be assisted immediately since there are staff milling about waiting to be contacted by any patient.

There is a chance that the psychiatric intensive care unit will be locked down and every patient, no matter the severity of the mental health problem will be in a mental health hospital, as indicated under the Mental Health Act 1983.

Rehabilitation wards

If you are in a mental health hospital, you may be relocated to the rehabilitation ward where the mental health staff will teach you how to live on your own without the need of having assistance.

The patient will be taught essential activities that can bring them to adapt to the local community.

Mental health staff may provide you with psychotherapies and occupational therapy to help you with the workings of the local community.

The rehabilitation ward is where the patient will be able to move around on his or her own without much supervision from staff.

You can learn more about rehabilitation wards by buying this book on this website.

Specialist wards

The patient may also be voluntarily or involuntarily admitted in the specialist ward. This ward has the following units:

• personality disorder 
• eating disorder
• forensic units for criminals with mental conditions
• mother and baby
• young person 

Children and young people who have mental health problems should be placed in units that can give them specialized care for their thoughts and behaviours in this age.

This is why there is a separate unit for them in the specialist ward.

The accessibility of specialist wards depends on the mental health hospital. You may not even find these wards in the NHS. 

This is why the NHS may refer to a mental health hospital that is near to the group’s centre.

Could I be eligible for involuntary admission to a mental health hospital?

You could be eligible for involuntary admission to a mental health hospital if the mental health professionals have assessed you to be better in the care of mental health professionals where the procedures will be based on what has been stated in the Mental Health Act of 1983.

If you want to voluntarily admit yourself in a mental health hospital…

You might feel that you are mentally unwell that you have to go to a mental health hospital.

You can ask your doctor about this problem and after your assessment of your symptoms, he or she will admit you in this kind of hospital.

Most people are more likely to go to the mental health hospital themselves. You already remember this as voluntary admission.

Here are some techniques to get voluntarily admitted to a mental health hospital.

• Talk to someone in your community mental health team if you have one in your area. You may have a care-coordinator you can talk to in this kind of team.
• Address your local crisis group. You can find their contact information online. However, in some locations, you can only be referred to this kind of team by your general practitioner.
• Contact and address the issue to your general practitioner. There may also be an out-of-hours service for this kind of service.
• Visit the Accident and Emergency (A&E) department of a local hospital or a local mental health hospital.
• You might not be able to go into the mental health hospital even if you want or need to. It will be based on the number of beds that are vacant. And if the doctors think you are eligible enough to be there. If there are not enough free beds in your local mental health hospital, mental health staff could refer you to a different hospital.

How to prepare yourself in your admission to a mental health hospital?

You can prepare yourself in your admission to a mental health hospital by doing the following strategies below.

Your house and stuff

You could assign someone you trust to take care of your house and your belongings.

This kind of person could be your trustworthy neighbour, family member or your personal carer. 

If you can’t find someone appropriate for the job, you can always ask for the local authority to supervise your belongings.

These local authorities will make sure that there is not a single sign of damage in your belongings. 

These precious belongings must be your home, pets, and appliances.

These local authorities can go in your home and may put stuff in your storage room. 

These local authorities can do this job once you agree or another person which could be your carer can decide what to do with your stuff. 

The law has stated that you will be charged for this job. The police can scan your area to make sure nothing is amiss in your home

If you are concerned about your personal belongings while you being admitted to a mental health hospital, you can always call the following trustworthy people:

• a friend, neighbour or family member
• a social professional at the mental health hospital
• your local social services department
• your care coordinator in the community if you have one near your area
• the Approved Mental Health Professional if you have been detained through involuntary admission

Your children

If you have children left behind, you can always call a friend or family member to watch over them if you are detained in a mental health hospital.

If you don’t have anyone you know to supervise your children, you can always call local authorities to have social services to care for your children.

Your welfare benefits

If you may have welfare benefits due to your mental health problem, you should contact the Department of Work and Pensions for this information.

If you are unable to do this, you can let your carer take the reigns for you in asking DWP. 

Some of your welfare benefits may be reduced or not accountable for 28 days.

If you don’t tell the DWP, they may charge you for your use of benefits. 

If this situation occurs, you are obligated to pay back.

Taking things in

If you got admitted to a mental health hospital due to it being an emergency, you might not find the time to get your personal stuff that you need to bring.

You could always your trustworthy allies whether your family member or friend to pick these stuff out for you.

If you have sufficient time, you need to bring the following essentials:

• extra clothes
• nightclothes
• toiletries such as body wash, shampoo, toothbrush, toothpaste, hair gel and make-up,
• enough money and bring coins in case there is a payphone on the ward,
• books
• notebook and pen
• your phone

There are some ward restrictions about mobile phones. Some mental health hospitals would ban the use of these phones immediately. 

Some wards have restrictions about bringing weapons and other medications.

Alcohol is strictly not allowed in the mental health hospital premises. 

Other wards in a mental health hospital may be limiting the use of alcoholic mouthwash, aerosols, glass containers, perfume, dental floss, aftershave and nail varnish remover.

You also need to make sure that you should ask the mental health staff about bringing electrical items such as a charger for your phone.

The patient is not allowed to bring pieces of jewellery in the mental health hospital.

This is because not every mental health staff will ensure the safety of these materials

What occurs when I take my leave from the mental health hospital?

There are some varied rules about leaving the mental health hospital as stated in the Mental Health Act.

For instance, people who were voluntarily admitted in this kind of hospital might be able to leave the hospital when they need to.

However, involuntarily admitted patients are not allowed to leave when they need to unless their psychological assessment has resulted in normal health but this situation isn’t the same for detained criminals.

Conclusion

In this brief article, we have discussed mental health hospital, the psychiatrist in a mental health hospital, the meaning of mental health hospital admission, and more information about mental health hospital.

If you have any questions about mental health hospital, please let us know and the team will gladly answer your queries.

FAQs: Mental health hospital

Citations

Mind. Crisis services and planning for a crisis.

Rethink Mental Illness. Going into hospital.