what is it when someone is detained under section one of the Mental Health act?

Question

what could they have done to be sectioned under this?

Answer 1

There are four distinct subcategories of mental disorder stipulated in Section 1 of the Act - mental illness, mental impairment, severe mental impairment and psychopathic disorder.

These categories are not well defined in the Act, indeed, mental illness is not defined at all. Mental impairment is defined as "a state of arrested or incomplete development of mind ... which includes significant impairment of intelligence and social functioning and is associated with abnormally aggressive or seriously irresponsible conduct on the part of the person concerned". Severe mental impairment has a similar definition but with the word "significant" replaced with "severe". Psychopathic disorder is defined as a "persistent disorder or disability of mind (whether or not including significant impairment of intelligence) resulting in abnormally aggressive or seriously irresponsible conduct".

These categories do not necessarily correspond to medical categories of mental disorder such as those outlined in ICD-10 or DSM-IV; the type of mental disorder afflicting a particular person is very much left up to the clinical judgement of the individual doctor. However, the category "mental illness" is thought by most psychiatrists to cover schizophrenia, anorexia nervosa, major depression, bipolar disorder and other similar illnesses, "(severe) mental impairment" to cover mental retardation (learning disability) and "psychopathic disorder" to cover the personality disorders.

There are very few exclusions to these definitions of mental disorder. The Act states that one cannot be suffering from a mental disorder "by reason only of promiscuity or other immoral conduct, sexual deviancy or dependence on alcohol or drugs".

Answer 2

section 1 of the 1983 Mental Health Act set out what the Act is. Compulsary detention under section 2 is for 28 days assessment and compulsary treatments can be given even if the patient does not consent. Detention under section 3 of the Act is 6 month Compulsary detention for treatment when the assessment under sec. 2 is complete (But they can use sec. 2 as many times as they see fit). Detention under section 5 (2) is a 72 hour order whilst an assessment team decide whether or not to use section 2 or 3 or to discharge to informal (voluntary) patient status Section 37 is detention indefinitely and can be ordered by the courts so can section 60 and section 65. Section 136 is an emergency power that the police can use to detain someone in a mental health unit when the person has been taken from a public place, otherwise section 5 (2) must be used. Section 136 is a 72 hour detention and is similar to section 5 (2)

What could they have done? Anything that gives rise to the mental stability of that person. For example if someone tries to commit suicide they can be sectioned for their own protection. There are a vast number of reasons why someone gets sectioned, but two doctors must agree, except in the case of 5 (2) when the examining doctor can order it. 136 can be used by the police if the get someone down from a bridge or building if the person makes an attempt at suicide. It should be noted that these are only examples as the many reasons why someone was sectioned are far too many to list here.

Answer 3

To be sectioned one must suffer from mental illness (not defined in the Mental Health Act 1983), mental impairment, severe mental impairment or psychopathic disorder, all of which conditions are linked to violent or aggressive behaviour. Sometimes people are detained for their own safety, as for instance when they are threatening suicide. Alternatively they may be seen as representing a risk to others. Because formerly there was a great deal of abuse of mental health legislation and it was used to detain people who had given birth to illegitimate children, the Act specifically rules out detention on grounds of immoral behaviour. The scope of the Act is wide and the range of possibilities is wide, but basically to be sectioned one must have displayed a dangerous degree of aggression and two mental health practitioners must agree that it is necessary to detain the patient for purposes of assessment.

Answer 4

Altered state of awareness/ reality creating risk to them self or public - particularly if children are likely to be affected. Some people are sectioned after an incident/concern is reported by GP, social services, police or family and are sectioned pending reports and released after treatment, some for medication changes as during the transfer they may be considered a risk and released when mental health professionals consider new medication is effective. MIND offer advice on the process for families, friends and concerned people but they may not be able to comment on individual situations.

Answer 5

google mha....there is no section 1 as such. the actual sections (detainment) start with section two which i think is for 28 days for assessment.
section 1 is an application of the act and would define the mental disorder.

Answer 6

there is no section one.

Section two is for assessment, it lasts 28 days and requires application from social worker or nearest relative and needs to be recommended by 2 docs.

Section 3 is for treatment, up to 6 months, again can be requested by the same people and recommended by 2 doctors.

Section 4 is for emergency assessment, for 72 hours and although frequested by the same people only 1 doc need to recommend.

Section 136 is also emergency, by the police, to remove people from a PUBLIC place only, to a place of safety, ie a police station (this is NOT a general hospital) for people who are deemed at risk. (ie people attempting sucide etc)

Section 135 is from a private dwelling for 72 hours, a court warrant is required and it is an informal admission by police accompanied by an approved social worker and a doctor.

You can be volutarily admitted, to a psychiatric unit.

The sections are used for those who refuse help but are obviously in need of it, for example psychiatric patients at risk of harmin themselves or are who unable to cope at home, or elderly people with severe dementia, and those who don't recognise they need help.

Answer 7

Remember it used to be called 'Section 56' years ago...probably still is. Throughout the seventies and eighties, a large percentage of Afro-Caribbean males usually were the dears who were put under it...and used to end up in prison, rather then hospitals.

Answer 8

by utilising "pig" i anticipate you recommend a policeman. it variety of feels that when you 'phoned you Mum, she controlled to get you sectioned below the psychological well being act on your individual stable. And why a "******** well being care expert"? The word well being care expert is sufficient

Answer 9

A doctor/Counceler just has to feel that they may be a danger to themselfs or others. Usualy its a manditory 72 hours observation and then a realse provided they dont think you are any further harm to yourself.

Realy it could be for anything

Answer 10

they are what it says on the tin MENTAL mate MENTAL. like a bloke finds his wife wit an other bloke he gose mad kills every one in the house. he done it from a moment of madness so he will be sectioned under the mental health act pending reports