Involuntary hospitalisations in accordance with guardianship law during eight years tripled

Abstract

REQUEST: In 1992 the guardianship law came into force. A study about involuntary hospitalisations in accordance with guardianship law between 1992 and 2000 in a small social-psychiatrically well supplied region of Southern Lower Saxony should be made. This study about hospitalisation and guardianship proceedings was made in the district courts of jurisdiction in the catchment area at the regional and the university hospital in Göttingen, including diagnosis, reason of hospitalisation and personal characteristics of patients. During study period a new guardianship law came into force, involuntary hospitalisations have doubled. Diagnostic and personal characteristics are described. A comparison: Hospitalisation in accordance with Mental Health law are more numerous and doubled during the last twelve years. Despite improved ambulant and in-hospital treatment involuntary hospitalisations considerably increased. Possible reasons are discussed: Better perception of necessity of in-hospital treatment, shorter but long-term unsuccessful in-hospital treatment, temptation because of the wording of the law sounds liberal, social demand of harder sanctions for unnormal behaviour. Psychiatrists, social workers and judges obviously support this social concurring behaviour or they are unable to prevent it.