Abstract
Aims and MethodMental illness may cause specific problems in the environment of an international airport. The aim of our study was to assess frequency, presentation and safety implications of mental disorders requiring formal admission at an international airport. We performed a retrospective study over 4 years including patients who were detained by the police and admitted.ResultsThe frequency of admissions was one per million passengers, the frequency of incidents raising safety concerns was four per 10 million passengers. An in-flight disturbance occurred in 1.4 per 10 million arriving passengers. Most common were schizophrenia or schizotypal disorder (46.8%) and mania (22.6%). Twenty per cent of patients presented with wandering.Clinical ImplicationsEmergency admissions and incidents causing safety concerns were rare. Airport wandering was a frequent presenting sign that should be recognised.
Highlights
Anxiety is common among air travellers (IlJon Foreman & Iljon, 1994; McIntosh et al, 1998)
Our data show that compulsory psychiatric emergency admissions from Heathrow Airport are, compared with the large number of air travellers, only rarely required
The differences between the UK and American studies may be owing to differences in the diagnostic classification (Gurland et al, 1970). Both studies agreed with our study admitted patients from international airports frequently have severe mental illness
Summary
Mental illness may cause specific problems in the environment of an international airport. The aim of our study was to assess frequency, presentation and safety implications of mental disorders requiring formal admission at an international airport. We performed a retrospective study over 4 years including patients who were detained by the police and admitted
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