Service users' experiences of involuntary hospital admission under the Mental Health Act 2001 in the Republic of Ireland

Objective: The objective of the study was to explore the experiences of individuals admitted to the hospital involuntarily under the Mental Health Act 2001 in the Republic of Ireland. Methods: In this qualitative descriptive study, 50 individuals who had been involuntarily admittedtoa hospital underwent face-to-face semistructured interviews approximately three months after revocation of the involuntary admission order. Data were analyzed by using an inductive thematic process. Results: Participants reported mixed experiences over the course of the admission, with both positive and challenging aspects. Participants reported feeling coerced, dis-empowered, and unsupported at various stages of the admission and highlighted the long-term deleterious impact on their psychological well-being. However, participants also described encounters with individuals who endeavored to initiate a collaborative, informative, and compassionate approach. Four key themes emerged consistently across the trajectory of participants' involuntary admission experiences: feeling trapped and coerced, feeling disengaged and unsupported, admission-induced distress, and person-centered encounters. Conclusions: This qualitative study of service users' views across the entire trajectory of their involuntary admission identified a number of factors that should be addressed to reduce the negative impact of involuntary admission. A multifaceted strategy could include ongoing education and training of all stakeholders in the principles and practices of person-centered care, repeated provision of accessible information and emotional support to service users during all stages of involuntary admission, and a shift in culture to one that minimizes the traumatic impact of forced detention on individuals' psychological well-being.