Involuntary psychiatric admissions quadruple in recent decades: 4 findings

Nearly 75 percent of all psychiatric hospital admissions in Canada's Ontario province were involuntary in 2013 — an increase of nearly four times the number of these admissions in Ontario since the 1980s, according to a study published in BJPsych Open.

The study authors gathered data from the Ontario Mental Health Reporting System to assess recent trends in involuntary admissions to psychiatric hospitals in Ontario. 

Here are four findings from the study.

1. Among 115,515 people hospitalized between 2009 and 2013, 74 percent of patients were involuntarily hospitalized for psychiatric care.

2. Between 2009 and 2013, involuntary admissions increased from 71 percent to 77 percent.

3. Of the involuntarily admitted patients, approximately 34 percent were released and 17 percent were transferred to voluntary status within 72 hours of admission.

4. "Our findings show that some population groups such as immigrants and youth (age 16 to 24) are potentially facing inequalities, given they are experiencing a greater likelihood of involuntary admissions, despite controlling for many other factors," lead author Michael Lebenbaum told Medscape Medical News.

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