MENTAL-HEALTH REVIEW TRIBUNALS - A FOLLOW-UP OF REVIEWED PATIENTS

Background Mental health legislation allows for treatment needs to ove rride civil liberty. Mental health review tribunals act as a counterba lance. This study examines the long-term outcome of patients reviewed by a tribunal, and in particular whether the tribunal, in its concern for civil liberty, might be discharging patients prematurely. Method A ll non-offender patients from a defined catchment area reviewed by the tribunal between the inception of the 1983 Mental Health Act and 31 D ecember 1991 were followed-up until 31 May 1993. Results Those dischar ged by the tribunal did not differ significantly from those refused di scharge in subsequent survival period in the community, in readmission rate or in final outcome. Conclusions Within the limitations of a non -experimental study, the main hypothesis was not supported. An intensi ve study of family and personal life in the three months after dischar ge would cast useful additional light on the soundness of tribunal dec isions.