please can someone give me some advice; friend has been sectioned.

[ISpyWithMyLittleEye]

regular who has namechanged to protect friend.

Basically this is about as much as I know. She apparently has been extremely down, and has been sectioned.

I know she's in hospital atm but that's all I know as she is not local to me.

Can someone advise me? How seriously mentally ill does she have to be to have been sectioned? I know of people who have lived with severe depression and this has never happened to them.

Also is there likely to be any impact on her dc? They don't know why she is in hospital just that she's very poorly and they have been unable to visit. But will Social services etc be involved?

I want to be there to support her/her dh and their children as much as possible, but I don't know anything about this, and her dh is going through enough as it is so I don't want to be asking him loads of questions, I want to be supportive not come across as nosy, iyswim?

I'm so sorry - I know what a horrible worrying time it is, even from a distance.

I can't help a huge amount, but I have a little experince as a friend of mine was sectioned for depression once. She was suicidal, and that's why she was kept in hospital. She was on 24 hour suicide watch (someone with her at all times - the loo, the bath, while she slept, everything). About the children and family, I don't know, I'm sorry. We were younger - nothing like that in the picture.

I hope your friend is getting all the care she needs.

I am a mental health nurse and basically if someone is sectioned it means that there is concern that if they don't receive the right assessment/treatment they may pose a risk to themselves (e.g. suicide/serious self harm) others (e.g. violence to others) or there is likely to be a severe deterioration in their mental state. If the person agress to informal ("voluntary") admission then of course there is no need to section them.

Do you know what section of the mental health act she is detained under. If she has no history of admission/mental health problems it is likely to be a Section 2 which is up to 28 days for assessment only.

May I just stress that this is a very basic explanation as I don't know the full story. Her dh should be able to meet with her consultant and/or named nurse on the ward and all of the implications will be explained to him (and of course to your friend if she is well enough to understand)

How old are her dc btw? Ime unless there is concern for the children then social services are unlikely to be involved, assuming her dh or other appropriate people are caring for them while she is in hospital?

Sorry if that sounds insensitive, but I don't want to make snap judgments/assumptions without really knowing the person.

It must be very worrying for you.

I'm sorry that your friend is so ill

This tells you a bit more about being sectioned.

Social Services may be involved, but not to remove her children, more likely to provide care and support. It may be that they can organise home help with the family whilst she is in hospital, or childcare if the dad has to work.

Hopefully her treatment will help and she will be home soon.

thank you.

onepieceoflollipop she has been sectioned before about 10 years ago. Her dh said that she has been sectioned for 28 days, so can I assume that this is for assessment? When she was first sectioned she apparently managed to do a runner and the police/helicopters and all were out looking for her. So I'm guessing she isn't there voluntarily.

Her dc are school age, and her dh is caring for them.

ISpy if she was sectioned before 10 years ago for assessment then as it was so long ago then she may be in for assessment again. That will depend on the professional recommending/applying for the section. (typically 2 doctors and a specialist social worker.)

If she had a formal diagnosis 10 years ago and has presented with similar symptoms since then (and of course more recently) then they may go for a Section 3 which is for treatment. This can last for up to 6 months but she will have the right to appeal and it is possible that with treatment she may be significantly better even in a few weeks.

Do you know if she has a diagnosis of depression or possibly another mental health problem?