Trigger warning - need advice on hospital process after unsuccessful attempt

[SENsupportplease]

My sibling took an intentional OD and nearly died 2 nights ago

She has been in AMU as they stabilise her

Will the hospital automatically perform a mental health assessment and how likely is it they will section her?

Will they listen to our concerns as her family members?

We are terrified that on discharge she will repeat and be successful

Anyone?

My family member had a very nearly successful attempt and then had a voluntary admission to the mental health ward. She will only be sectioned if she isnt cooperative with the suggested treatment.

Mine had six weeks in hospital- two in ITU on a ventilator until finally awake then four in the mental health unit.

Yes they will do a mental health assessment. Whether they section her will depend on the area you live (its a postcode lottery) and also what she says to them. They will listen but whether they actually take it on board is another thing.

From experience (with friends not me), they will do a mental health assessment but it’s unlikely they will section, it’s likely as soon as she’s well enough they will do the assessment and then send her home with a possible follow up with her GP or mental health services. I have known so many people just be sent home with no support.

This. A suicide attempt or even multiple suicide attempts doesn't equal being sectioned even if the family beg. Its awful for the family im sorry you are having to go through this op

She is clever and will lie

She has already told her partner / ex partner she will attempt again

but has plans to tell the MH team the OD was not suicidal and she won’t be repeating it

so she will appear cooperative

and she will attempt and probably succeed

What can we do?

she chucked all of us out of hospital today blaming us for her attempt

She is already under MH services with GP, all services to date have failed her

I have just been hospitalised for the same thing, I was in for 3 months, I hope they are ok 🤞

She isn’t

I hope you are recovering and feel able to stay x

Sorry OP, this must be such a worry for you and I wish I could be more helpful. I don't have experience from the MH viewpoint but AMU is generally pretty threadbare as a service. I can only suggest contacting the hospital perhaps via A+E and telling them what you've posted here about what her partner has told you, and ask for her to be kept under close attention. Patients can be assigned to have a staff member in the room with them at all times - I've been on wards where this has happened - but that's where they are a known MH risk and I don't know you get that agreed.

She is now on a general ward I believe but still being stabilised

mental health are speaking to her on Monday but im
sure she will be discharged

and then what

Oh and she is being observed and not allowed to leave the ward unsupervised

OP ring the ward and ask to speak to the nurse in charge and ask if it's possible to speak to the consultant about your concerns and ask for your concerns to be recorded in her notes.
Are you listed as her next of kin? Have they your contact details? That would seem obvious but worth making sure.
Have they said they will be carrying out a mental health assessment on Monday?

That's a relief for now. Don't know what to suggest other than asking the hospital to pass your concerns on to the mental health team ahead of Monday.

They have and I am and it’s on her notes they are meant to inform me of changes - but today they didn’t

Also once DS realises she may withdraw consent

Mum is there each day and will be back tomorrow

the nurses are being great but ultimately they have no say in the process

How old is she?

Is it a cry/guilt trip to get the Ex to stay with her or she will do it again? Or not about him?

I hope you can get her the help she needs, but sadly you have to accept that you can't watch over her 24/7/365 & if she really wants to unalive herself you really cannot stop her 🥲

They haven’t said it’s an assessment just that MH will speak to her

mum is going to request an assessment as her nearest relative; though that is a concern as technically DS has a live in partner - he hasn’t moved out but he is currently six hours away at his parents and they have broken up several times in the past couple months including the breakup that we think triggered the attempt

Mid thirties

i think it’s about him and about her life overall

i do think there is a “fuck you” element involved

she broke up with him and apparently it was when he stayed out of contact she did this

I don’t think my parents will survive that

my husbands brother died young under similar circumstances and my kids are still traumatised

I can’t let them lose their aunt

So sorry OP 😥

I think people on this thread do not understand the term ‘section’. It isn’t an official term anyway but it means to be admitted against your will to a mental health inpatient unit under section 2 or 3 of the mental health act. This would happen following a formal mental health act assessment which requires 2 Drs and an AMHP to agree to deprive the person of their liberty. This is a high bar. In practice it mainly applies to people with psychotic mental illness.

It is not the same as having a mental health assessment of some kind by a single practitioner usually a liaison nurse or the junior Dr on call. This would happen routinely after an overdose. Very few people who have taken an overdose would be ‘sectioned’ as most of them would be able to decide for themselves once the physical effects had passed.

OP if your sister were to be admitted to a mental health unit what do you believe they would do for her that would prevent this from happening again? If she has a medication treatable illness like psychosis then she could be made to take that treatment in hospital. However if she has the kind of illness (like for instance a personality disorder) that requires long term psychotherapy then being admitted to hospital will not achieve this. Whether she is offered admission to hospital will depend mainly on whether they think they have any treatment to offer in that setting that will be of help to her. This will be much more of the determinant than a lack of beds. There will always be a bed found for someone with a treatable disorder who cannot be managed in the community.

I volunteer as a Samaritan, and unfortunately people are often discharged horrifyingly early and with no meaningful support - even when they are asking for it. If your sister is likely to lie and minimise, I would realistically think that she will be discharged as soon as she is physically fit for discharge with a bare minimum of support - quite possibly just a flag to the GP. If her partner / ex partner can document that she has said she will attempt again, then I would get them to create a written statement to that effect, add your concerns and those of any other family members, and request that they be presented to her consultant / whoever is going to carry out the assessment on Monday. If possible, request that you meet with them following their meeting with your sister to discuss their proposed plan, or that they call you to discuss. The reality is that if your sister is determined, it’s likely to be very hard to keep her safe without family supervision 24/7, and that’s probably not realistic. She is very unlikely to be sectioned. I’m so sorry, OP. This must be incredibly difficult. Samaritans would be really happy to support you - we are there for anyone affected by suicide or related issues, and a chat with a volunteer might help you to think through the options.

If she is not married then the eldest of her parents is her nearest relative under the MHA and they can make a request to the AMHP to undertake a mental health act assessment however the AMHP is at liberty to decline to do the assessment and they will decline if the person is agreeing to a less restrictive form of treatment eg a community crisis team. On the facts you have listed here (impulsive overdose due to social stressor) I think admission to a mental health hospital is an unlikely outcome and you would be better off requesting the community crisis team as this is a much more possible outcome. However of course she will get an assessment from the liaison mental health team and they will be best placed to determine what will be the most helpful action.

Then the crisis team will come along and tell her she has capacity so can do what she wants the whole system is shit.