To ask if these assessments are usually so quick

[Sevendaysaweek]

Dn didn’t come home from college she’s text me and said she’s been placed on a temporary police section. She said three people have come in a spoken to her for ten minutes. The same people have come back and placed her on section 2. Aibu to think that’s quite quick to make such a decision. She won’t give me the full story.

It sounds like she is on a section 136 (removed from a public place) or a 135 (removed from a private place).

Those sections basically give the police powers to remove someone to a place of safety, usually a section 136 suite at the police station.

They will then have been assessed there by an Approved Mental Health practitioner (AMHP) who will have applied for it to become a section 2 rather than a s.136 or s.135. That is because a 136/5 are just police powers to make a situation safe and not appropriate for longer term assessment.

A section 2 is 'voluntary' and in theory allows for a 28 day period of assessment. It means that the person can be taken for further treatment somewhere more appropriate than a police 136 suite, and can last a few hours/days or the full 28 days.

If your niece was clearly demonstrating a risk to herself or others when she was assessed by the AMHP then yes, it could easily have been a made a decision made in a less than 10 minute conversation. A section 2 though IS voluntary so if she becomes well enough to return to your care then it's highly likely she won't be detained under the section 2 any longer than she needs to be.

Also bear in mind that if your niece is experiencing difficulties that have required detention under the mental health act then her perception of '10 minutes' may not reflect what has happened in reality.

What do you mean by voluntary @hatgirl? It's definitely a section and by its nature is therefore compulsory rather than voluntary. The patient can appeal, but has no choice in the detention

She’s text me and said she’s been given a write up where she’s described as definite signs of Anhedonia. We are both unsure what this mean as she’s worried about falling behind at college.

Anhedonia is a loss of enjoyment in things a person would usually enjoy. It's often a sign of depression

She said she wasn’t asked if she enjoyed things so she’s unsure how they came to a view.

The professionals who assessed her for a section two of the mental health act are clearly concerned enough about her mental health to detain her ,the section two is an assessment section and can be rescinded at any time I would ask the staff from the ward for a leaflet about her rights under the section they should have them available so that you can understand what's happening