Why am I in hospital?
There are many different reasons why a young person might need, or want, to stay in hospital to get help for their mental health.
An important step in your recovery
You are in hospital because people who care about you are worried about your mental health and want to see you get well again. It may be that your parent(s) or guardian were worried about you, or other people thought it would be a good idea for you to come and stay here. You may have decided together with your parent(s) or guardian that you wanted to go into hospital to get help with your mental health.
Coming into hospital might seem like a scary thing to do, but it is an important step in your recovery and getting back to the more manageable life that you deserve.
Remember that while your journey is unique, you are not alone. You will have lots of support to help you recover and return home.
You will be in hospital as either a ‘voluntary’ child or as a ‘detained’ (involuntary) child under a court order.
'Voluntary’ child
The word ‘voluntary’ may seem a little strange if you have not agreed to being admitted. However, the law says that if you are under 18 and are in hospital because your parent(s) or guardian on their own, or with you, have agreed for you to have treatment as an inpatient, the law considers you to be there as a ‘voluntary’ child. Read more at the link Words you might hear
The law says that even though a child or adolescent’s views on a voluntary admission should be heard, consent (permission) for admission and treatment can only be given by their parent(s) or guardian. Most of the young people you meet in hospital will be there on a voluntary basis.
If you are in hospital on a voluntary basis, the length of time you are in hospital will depend on what treatment you are having and how well this is working.
Once it is considered that you no longer need inpatient care, hospital staff will tell you that you are able to go home. This is called being ‘discharged’. However, there is no time limit on how long that can take. Your parent(s) or guardian may also decide to take you out of hospital.
Even if you are in hospital on a voluntary basis, if your parent(s) or guardian want to take you out of hospital, but the doctors or nurses do not think that you are well enough to leave, you might be ‘detained’ (kept in hospital). Read more at the link Words you might hear
‘Detained’ child (involuntary detention)
A small number of young people are admitted to hospital involuntarily (detained). Read more at the link Words you might hear
‘Involuntary detention’ is when the doctors in charge of your care ask the Court for permission to admit you to hospital when your parent(s) or guardian do not want you to stay, or their consent cannot be gotten. The doctors can do this under section 25 of the Mental Health Act - you can learn more about this on the page What are my rights?
The doctors can ask the Court to admit you to hospital if:
- you have been diagnosed as having a ‘mental disorder’ and the doctors think you might be a risk to yourself or others.
- your parent(s) or guardian decide to take you out of hospital and the doctors think you are not ready or well enough to leave hospital.
The Court can order that you be detained in hospital for up to 21 days. This does not mean that you must be detained for 21 days, only that you cannot be kept for longer than 21 days without going back to Court. This court order can be renewed for timeframes of up to three or six months. The Court do not very often make orders for such long periods and generally make orders for shorter timeframes. Your doctors will continually review your mental health. You and your parent(s) or guardian may be asked for your views.
When your doctors think that you are well enough, they will ask the court to withdraw (take away) the involuntary detention order.
The length of stay in hospital is different for everyone.
The doctors will aim to keep you in hospital for the shortest time possible but want to allow you to recover and be well enough to go home again. You can talk to someone on your team about when this is likely to happen.
Support Tool 3 can help you set goals for yourself while in hospital and you can use Support Tool 10 to plan for going home when you are ready.
