Absconding behaviour: an exploratory investigation in an acute inpatient unit

Meehan, Tom; Morrison, Paul; McDougall, Sue

doi:10.1046/j.1440-1614.1999.00603.x

Cited by 21 publications

(53 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…In the present study, the risk of absconding in younger patients was higher than older patients, which is similar to previous studies (1,8,14,26). In this regard, in a review study, absconding patients were younger than others (18).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Patient Absconding and Its Predictors: A 5-Year Retrospective Analysis in a General Teaching Hospital in Tehran, Iran

et al. 2017

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Background and Purpose: Patient absconding from a hospital or leaving without permission is a major challenge with economic and social consequences for patients, healthcare staff, and society. Identification of the characteristics of absconding patients is essential to the prediction and prevention of such behaviors. Methods: This cross sectional study was performed in a large general teaching hospital in Tehran, Iran. Data of 460 absconding patients and 460 nonabsconding patients, admitted during March 2010 -March 2016, were extracted from the hospital information system. Backward stepwise logistic regression analysis was used to describe the importance and effect of each predictor. Results: The findings showed that 0.4% of the patients had left the hospital without permission or notice to the staff. Addiction

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Patient Absconding and Its Predictors: A 5-Year Retrospective Analysis in a General Teaching Hospital in Tehran, Iran

et al. 2017

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“…From the available literature, the broad profile of patients that abscond are young, detained males diagnosed with Schizophrenia (Farragher, Gannon & Ahmad 1996;Quinsey & Coleman 1997;Bowers et al 1999a;Meehan, Morrison & McDougall 1999;Bowers et al 2000;Bowers, Alexander & Gaskell 2003;Carr 2006) and this research is in keeping with the profile of patients that abscond previously identified. Patients from a CALD background diagnosed with schizophrenic disorders who absconded were younger than their Caucasian counterparts.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 64%

An exploration of absconding behaviours from culturally and linguistically diverse psychiatric hospital patients in Australia

Mosel

Ziaian

Gerace

et al. 2010

International Journal of Culture and Mental Health

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Psychiatric morbidity among minority populations is believed to be higher than in the general population due to unmet health care need, and where significant health inequalities are experienced within culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) populations (WHO 2004(WHO , 2007. Absconding (psychiatric patients running away from hospital) is a high risk event and has been linked to harm to self and others. Very little research has been conducted into the absconding behaviours of people from a CALD background. In this study, a population of in-patients from a CALD background who

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“…Briefly, they include the lack of a comparison sample to draw aetiological conclusions; obtaining information from case records and clinical judgements, rather than standardised methods; and the potential for bias from clinicians' awareness of patient outcome (particularly on variables such as estimation of risk). Further, we could not establish if patients had previously absconded from the ward, an apparent risk factor for future absconding [19,21], nor could we ascertain the length of time between leaving the ward and suicide unless the death occurred within a week of admission.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Suicide amongst psychiatric in-patients who abscond from the ward: a national clinical survey

et al. 2010

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BackgroundSuicide prevention by mental health services requires an awareness of the antecedents of suicide amongst high risk groups such as psychiatric in-patients. The goal of this study was to describe the social and clinical characteristics of people who had absconded from an in-patient psychiatric ward prior to suicide, including aspects of the clinical care they received.MethodsWe carried out a national clinical survey based on a 10-year (1997-2006) sample of people in England and Wales who had died by suicide. Detailed data were collected on those who had been in contact with mental health services in the year before death.ResultsThere were 1,851 cases of suicide by current psychiatric in-patients, 14% of all patient suicides. 1,292 (70%) occurred off the ward. Four hundred and sixty-nine of these patients died after absconding from the ward, representing 25% of all in-patient suicides and 38% of those that occurred off the ward. Absconding suicides were characterised by being young, unemployed and homeless compared to those who were off the ward with staff agreement. Schizophrenia was the most common diagnosis, and rates of previous violence and substance misuse were high. Absconders were proportionally more likely than in-patients on agreed leave to have been legally detained for treatment, non-compliant with medication, and to have died in the first week of admission. Whilst absconding patients were significantly more likely to have been under a high level of observation, clinicians reported more problems in observation due to either the ward design or other patients on the ward.ConclusionMeasures that may prevent absconding and subsequent suicide amongst in-patients might include tighter control of ward exits, and more intensive observation of patients, particularly in the early days of admission. Improving the ward environment to provide a supportive and less intimidating experience may contribute to reduced risk.

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Absconding behaviour: an exploratory investigation in an acute inpatient unit

Abstract: Situational and environmental factors are more likely than patient characteristics to be predictive of absconding behaviour.

Cited by 21 publications

References 10 publications

Patient Absconding and Its Predictors: A 5-Year Retrospective Analysis in a General Teaching Hospital in Tehran, Iran

Patient Absconding and Its Predictors: A 5-Year Retrospective Analysis in a General Teaching Hospital in Tehran, Iran

An exploration of absconding behaviours from culturally and linguistically diverse psychiatric hospital patients in Australia

Suicide amongst psychiatric in-patients who abscond from the ward: a national clinical survey

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