When you are caring for someone and they are sectioned it can be hard to hear those words, however, if someone has been sectioned it means they are required to receive treatment under the Mental Health Act (1983). Under the Mental Health Act (1983), if someone is in immediate danger to themselves or others due to their mental health condition, or their condition is so severe that they require immediate medical treatment, they can be sectioned by a medical professional.
Sectioning could take place in a hospital setting, which means they must stay in hospital or sectioned in the community with a Community Treatment Order to receive treatment at home (although this is less common).
Who can section someone?
In most cases, the person will need to be assessed by three medical professionals to be sectioned. However, someone can also be sectioned in emergency situations by a police officer or a court. It is worth noting that police officers can admit someone to a hospital or detain them at a police station if they have been sectioned under the Mental Health Act 1983.
- They need to be assessed and treated for a mental health problem urgently.
- Their health would be at serious risk of getting worse if they did not get treatment quickly.
- The individual's safety or someone else’s safety would be at serious risk if they did not get treatment quickly.
- A doctor thinks the person needs to be assessed and treated in hospital - for example when they are given new and powerful medication which may need to be monitored.
What are the different sections used?
The main sections that are used are:
Someone can be detained under a section 2:
- If they have a mental health disorder.
- If they need to remain in hospital for a short-term assessment or short term treatment.
- If their own safety or those around them is at risk.
This sectioning is for up to 28 days, and it cannot be extended so an assessment will be carried out towards the end of the period and they may be moved to a section 3.
Someone can be detained under a section 3:
- If they have a mental health disorder.
- If their own safety or those around them is at risk.
- If treatment can only be given in a hospital setting.
This section can last up to 6 months, it can also be renewed or extended by the responsible clinician. The clinician can also discharge them before it comes to an end.
This section applies if they are a voluntary patient or an inpatient in hospital being treated for a physical problem.
- A doctor or clinician in responsible for treatment needs to report to the hospital managers that an application to keep them in hospital is to be made.
- They can be detained for up to 72 hours.
The section applies to those who are a voluntary inpatient receiving treatment for a mental health disorder.
A specialist trained nurse (mental health or learning disability) can detain someone at the hospital if:
- The person needs to remain in the hospital for their safety or the safety/protection of those around them.
- The urgency means it is not practical to obtain a section 5(2) straight away.
- They can be detained for up to 6 hours or until a doctor/clinician with authority arrives to assess.
There are more types of sections the person you are supporting could be detained under; it is important to ask questions to clinicians and doctors.
How much can I be involved if person I care for is admitted for acute treatment?
If the person you are supporting has been admitted for treatment, you will understandably want to know what is going on. You may want to be involved with their treatment plan and you may need to provide the professionals with a background.
Professionals understand the importance of consulting with families and carers as it enables important information to be obtained that ultimately could save lives.
Where possible, professionals will encourage the person in treatment give consent to share information with family and carers. However, if consent is not given and the individual is deemed to have capacity under the Mental Health Act 1983, then the professionals will be limited on the information they can share with you.
Reassuringly, due to some recent changes in mental health care (as a result of the 2021 SHARE report), there is some basic information you are entitled to request, without compromising the confidentiality restrictions requested by the service user.
- What behaviour is likely to occur and how to manage it, particularly in a crisis situation.
- Information on medication – benefits and possible side effects.
- Local inpatient and community services, with contact details of the care coordinator.
- Guidance on patient safety.
- An outline of the care and treatment pathway.
- Local and national support groups and resources.
In some circumstances it is possible to share more detailed information, for example if there is a possible risk of harm, and by sharing information, the risk will be alleviated.
- The present situation.
- The treatment plan and its aims.
- Any confidentiality restrictions requested by the individual.
- Any written care plan, crisis plan or recovery programme.
- How to access help, including out of hours.
- The role of each professional involved in the patients care.
- The opportunity to see a professional on your own and have a discussion in confidence.
- The right to your own confidentiality when speaking with a professional.
- Encouraged to feel part of the support team, able to voice views and concerns.
- Access to emotional and practical support.
- An assessment of their own needs with their own written care plan (ie if the individual has a serious mental illness).
If the person you are supporting has been admitted for treatment, you will understandably want to know what is going on. You may want to be involved with their treatment plan and you may need to provide the professionals with a background.
Professionals understand the importance of consulting with families and carers as it enables important information to be obtained that ultimately could save lives.
Where possible, professionals will encourage the person in treatment to give consent to share information with family and carers. However, if consent is not given and the individual is deemed to have capacity under the Mental Health Act 1983, then the professionals will be limited on the information they can share with you.
Reassuringly, due to some recent changes in mental health care (as a result of the 2021 SHARE report), there is some basic information you are entitled to request, without compromising the confidentiality restrictions requested by the service user. This information includes:
- What behaviour is likely to occur and how to manage it, particularly in a crisis situation.
- Information on medication – benefits and possible side effects.
- Local inpatient and community services, with contact details of the care coordinator
- Guidance on patient safety.
- An outline of the care and treatment pathway.
- Local and national support groups and resources.
What happens when the person I am supporting is discharged from mental health inpatient services?
The process for discharging someone from a mental health inpatient service will depend on whether the individual is in hospital as a voluntary in-patient, or they are there as a result of being sectioned.
In either case, when someone is ready to be discharged from a hospital or mental health facility, they will most likely be involved in a meeting to discuss what support or care services will be needed when they return home. They may also have a have a needs assessment to determine what community care services they require from the Community Mental Health Team. If their needs are more complex, they may be placed under the Care Programme Approach.