Abstract
Ways of extending or consolidating the powers of compulsory admission under the Mental Health Act 1983 have been discussed by the government and other organizations, including the Royal College of Psychiatrists. However there is little data on how existing legislation is applied. The authors examined the differential application of the Act between GPs, psychiatrists and social workers by means of an anonymous, confidential questionnaire. Fourteen case vignettes were interpreted by 20 social workers, 19 GPs and 28 Section 12 approved psychiatrists, who were asked to decide if they would detain the patient under the Act. Responses were analysed between and within the three groups. There was general agreement between groups on situations involving ‘danger to self’ and ‘danger to others’, but social workers were less likely to detain on health grounds and GPs tended to use the Act unpredictably, in areas not covered by the Act. The authors conclude that the Act may not be used to its fullest extent due to differences in interpretation or in knowledge, which may arise from differential constructs of mental illness and training. A national study of knowledge of mental health law is suggested.