Frequent Detainees under Section 136
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Frequent detainees under Section 136 of the Mental Health Act(1983): Repeated detention and practitioner responses
IRAS ID
199739
Contact name
Claire Warrington
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Brighton
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 6 months, 28 days
Research summary
Under Section 136 of the Mental Health Act (1983) the police have the power to remove a person considered an immediate risk of harming themselves or others, from a public place and detain them to a Place of Safety where they may receive a Mental Health Assessment. Over the last ten years there has been considerable and increasing public and government scrutiny of this legislation, including widespread pressure to reduce the number of detentions. Research in Sussex (the parent study for this project) has revealed that in one year a small number of people accounted for a third of all detentions, some of whom were detained over ten times each that year. Conversations with neighbouring Hampshire suggest this may be a consistent proportion and other services from across the country have also confirmed that repeated detention of certain individuals appears to be a widespread issue of concern. Little previous research appears to have been based around multiple detention in this way but the occurrence of this phenomenon is mentioned in several studies looking at other aspects of Section 136 (S136). One study reviewing the diagnoses recorded for those detained over a period of six months reported that individuals with a diagnosis of personality disorder accounted for all but one of the multiple detentions in their dataset. The Sussex research also suggests that a diagnosis of Personality Disorder could be a key issue among those repeatedly detained, and again this is supported by Hampshire’s work around S136. However, to date there does not appear to have been a substantial review of the needs of those repeatedly detained. This study seeks to address this gap by engaging statutory agencies in a national review of the issue and conducting interviews with those repeatedly detained and those who care for them.
REC name
London - Surrey Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/LO/2069
Date of REC Opinion
18 Jan 2017
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion