Definition:– A hospital for the care and treatment of patients affected with acute or chronic mental illness, Also called mental hospital.
Types of admission: Under the Mental Health and Welfare Law, there are various types of admission to hospital: voluntary admission; admission for medical care and protection; emergency admission; involuntary admission and emergency involuntary admission.
Voluntary admission: The patient is admitted of his or her own volition after a doctor at this hospital has decided that inpatient treatment is necessary. However, discharge within 72 hours can be restricted at the discretion of a designated mental health doctor.
Admission for medical care and protection: The patient is admitted even without their consent if a designated doctor regards their admission as necessary and the patient’s guardian consents. The following persons are classified as guardians under the Mental Health and Welfare Law.
1. If the patient has a legal guardian: the legal guardian
2. If the patient is a minor: the parents
3. If the patient has a spouse: the spouse
4. In the absence of any of the above: A guardian appointed by the family court who is aged 20 years or more and is the patient’s parent, child, sibling, grandparent, grandchild, or other relative (person with a duty to support the patient)
5. In the absence of 4. above: The mayor of the municipality where the patient resides
Emergency admission: The patient is admitted for up to 72 hours even without their consent or that of their guardian or person with a duty to support them, if a designated mental health doctor regards emergency admission as necessary
Involuntary admission: The patient is admitted on the authority of the governor if two designated mental health doctors ordered by the governor to examine the patient determine that the patient’s admission is necessary as a result of examination because of a risk of self-harm or hurting others.
Emergency involuntary admission: The patient is admitted for up to 72 hours on the authority of the governor as a result of examination by a single designated mental health doctor if a hospital cannot complete the official procedures for involuntary admission and speed is required.
