Inpatient experiences of acute admission process: a qualitative service evaluation

Aim : The aim of this evaluation was to examine how inpatients admitted to this adult acute inpatient hospital experienced the process of their admission, and to establish recommendations for improvement arising from this data. Method : Interview data regarding experiences of the inpatient admission process, gathered from 18 unstructured interviews with acute inpatients, was evaluated using thematic analysis. Results : The analysis produced four themes: systemic failure, ‘being ill enough’, judgement and acceptance, and trauma and punishment. These themes appeared indicative of how inpatients experienced the admission process to acute psychiatric care and informed recommendations made to the evaluated service. Conclusion : The results of this analysis emphasise that the process of being admitted into acute psychiatric care can be experienced as traumatic and highlights the impact of interpersonal interactions during this process. Recommendations include the need for mental health professionals to use a trauma-informed approach in interactions during and after admission.