Selected Characteristics of Absconders and Non-Absconders From Mental Hospitals: a Comparison

Andoh, Benjamin

doi:10.1177/002076409904500204

Cited by 15 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…Our results are in keeping with previous studies that have provided a profile of absconders in general, including being younger [3,4], with high rates of schizophrenia [17-19], substance misuse [20], and medication non-compliance [19]. The finding that patients who had been detained under the MHA were more likely to abscond has previously been reported [4,17,18], although this may be a reflection of the higher proportion of in-patients with severe mental illness.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

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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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

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

et al. 2010

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“…From the literature reviewed ( n = 39 articles) only 10 defined absconding (Andoh 1999; Bowers et al . 1999a,c,d; Dickens & Campbell 2001; Farragher et al .…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…(1998) suggests that there is no gender effect. The absconder is likely to have a history of substance abuse (Andoh 1999), previous admissions to hospitals, and a history of absconds, with most absconding events occurring within 7 days of admission. However, if the patient absconded and was aggressive, they were more likely to be young and detained, but not necessarily male (Bowers et al .…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Absconding: A review of the literature 1996–2008

Muir‐Cochrane

Mosel

2008

Int J Mental Health Nurs

105

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“…Studies reveal that absconders tend to be young, male, and diagnosed with schizophrenia [1,7,19,23,24]. Andoh [20] found that absconders were more likely to have been referred to hospital by police, have employment problems, infrequent visits from family or friends, and a history of alcohol abuse. Having a history of absconding is found to significantly and substantially increase the likelihood of further absconding [16,19], while legal status (i.e., involuntary) within general psychiatric populations has also been found to increase patients’ risk of absconding [3,7,17,20,24].…”

Section: Characteristics and Motivations Of Patients Who Abscondmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characteristics and motivations of absconders from forensic mental health services: a case-control study

et al. 2014

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BackgroundAbsconding from hospital is a significant health and security issue within psychiatric facilities that can have considerable adverse effects on patients, their family members and care providers, as well as the wider community. Several studies have documented correlates associated with absconding events among general psychiatric samples; however, few studies have examined this phenomenon within samples of forensic patients where the perception of threat to public safety in the event of an unauthorized absence from hospital is often higher.MethodsWe investigate the frequency, timing, and determinants of absconding events among a sample of forensic psychiatric patients over a 24-month period, and compare patients who abscond to a control group matched along several sociodemographic and clinical dimensions. We explore, in a qualitative manner, patients’ motives for absconding.ResultsFifty-seven patients were responsible for 102 incidents of absconding during the two year study window. Forensic patients who absconded from hospital were more likely to have a history of absconding attempts, a diagnosed substance use disorder, as well as score higher on a structured professional violence risk assessment measure. Only one of the absconding events identified included an incident of minor violence, and very few included the commission of other illegal behaviors (with the exception of substance use). The most common reported motive for absconding was a sense of boredom or frustration.ConclusionsUsing an inclusive definition of absconding, we found that absconding events were generally of brief duration, and that no member of the public was harmed by patients who absconded. Findings surrounding the motivations of absconders suggest that improvements in therapeutic communication between patients and clinical teams could help to reduce the occurrence of absconding events.

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Selected Characteristics of Absconders and Non-Absconders From Mental Hospitals: a Comparison

Cited by 15 publications

References 14 publications

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

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

Absconding: A review of the literature 1996–2008

Characteristics and motivations of absconders from forensic mental health services: a case-control study

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