Introduction
The authors wrote this article to report the findings of a study they conducted at the Australian College of Mental Health Nurses Inc. In this study, the authors aimed at determining the type of patient characteristics used to decide whether a patient would be admitted to a mental hospital or not. In addition, they aimed at finding out what normally happens to those patients who are admitted to these hospitals. Secondly, the researchers hoped to find out whether high levels of risk of admission in psychiatric hospitals are some of the factors that predict the length of stay, seclusion, or readmission of a patient within four weeks.
Analysis
The authors’ perception of the problem can be analyzed based on a critique of the introduction and background sections. Here, it is evident that the researchers hypothesized that such factors as conditions of a patient during admission are likely to determine the possibility of admission in a psychiatric section. In addition, the authors suspected that the length of stay in a mental hospital and the probability of readmission within one month are determined by the patient conditions during admission and the dangers they pose to the public. Moreover, they suspected that several factors determine the probability of admission in a psychiatric hospital as opposed to a normal hospital. To develop a concise background, the researchers conducted an in-depth review of the literature to determine some of the reasons why people are admitted to mental hospitals. Among the major findings were the dangers a patient poses to the public, deficits in self-care, and respite for caretakers.
Opinion
Supportive evidence: Arguments developed in this article support some theoretical findings in other studies. I agree with the authors because, in most hospitals, admission into mental health hospitals is a way of reducing patients’ contact with the public. This is especially common in cases where a patient displays some antisocial behaviors that could be a threat to the public. In addition, the researcher’s argument that there is a high rate of seclusion and readmission to a mental hospital is genuine and concise with the actual phenomenon in Australian societies. Perhaps, the reasons behind this could be due to a decrease in the number of mental hospitals and an increase in social and economic stress among Australian communities. Although the researchers did not attempt to find the reasons behind the increased rates of readmission and seclusion, one would agree that social problems could be some important factors.
Conclusion
The researchers’ way of developing the article is quite commendable because it has been developed according to the conventional scientific format. First, a brief but informative abstract provides the readers with an overview of the entire research and contents of the article. Secondly, the introduction provides an in-depth background to the study and study problem, which shows the significance of the present research. However, the researchers have emphasized statistical aspects of the phenomenon to an extent that it could be biased, especially in case of an arithmetical error. Moreover, it is worth noting that the methodology section is brief and to the point, which may mislead the readers as they attempt to determine the credibility of the findings. In their conclusion, the researchers have admitted that there is a need for further studies to determine the best strategies for reducing the high rates of readmission and seclusions in mental health hospitals.
Reference
Hunt, G. E., O’Hara-Aarons, M., O’Connor, N., & Cleary, M. (2012). Why are some patients admitted to psychiatric hospital while others are not? A study assessing risk during the admission interview and relationship to outcome. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 21, 145–153