What is it about?
Psychiatric temporary powers of detention, or 'holding' powers, are a common feature of inpatient psychiatric care worldwide. In this study we characterise a group of psychatric patients detained under holding powers in a large psychiatric hospital over a three-year period and compare them to a group never detained. Despite differences in illness severity on admission, outcomes for both groups were similar. Predictors for detention included the presence of impaired insight, psychosis, bipolar disorder and suicidal ideation.
Featured Image
Why is it important?
There is a dearth of literature internationally characterising those detained under psychiatric holding powers and their outcomes as a discrete population. In addressing this knowledge gap, this study describes points of comparison and contrast with known predictors of involuntary psychiatric detention - a potential, but not inevitable consequence of holding power initiation.
Perspectives
The existing literature on involuntary detention often overlooks individuals who are initially detained under holding powers that are not progressed to involuntary detention. It is hoped that this study will highlight the experience of this group and prompt further research in the area.
David Weir
University of Dublin Trinity College
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Predictors and Outcomes of Detention Under Psychiatric Holding Powers, Psychiatric Services, August 2025, American Psychiatric Association,
DOI: 10.1176/appi.ps.20240503.
You can read the full text:
Contributors
The following have contributed to this page
