Unless you’re studying one of the many campus or online post-master’s PMHNP programs, it isn’t likely that you’ve heard of inpatient mental health treatment. Being treated as an inpatient for mental health isn’t common, but it is incredibly useful and helpful when things are too much for a person suffering from mental illness to bear. Everyone has a limit, but when battling mental illness patients can require additional support. This usually comes from a social circle, therapist, and medication therapy.
However, when the usual support and survival methods don’t work, a person with extremely severe mental illness symptoms may go into Inpatient Mental Health Treatment, a process designed to allow them the time and safety to recover, evaluate (or re-evaluate) their treatment plan. If you or a loved one is considering (or have considered) inpatient mental health treatment, the following article may help you get a little acquainted with what you could expect.
It is important to remember that every state has different laws regarding mental health and hospitalisation. What will be covered here is the broadest possible definitions and procedures.
What is Inpatient Care?
In the broadest possible sense, whenever medical care is considered “inpatient,” it defines an in-hospital visit or stay, as opposed to receiving treatment and leaving the hospital, which is aptly termed “outpatient.”
Most mental illness care is outpatient, consisting of regular therapy sessions, and regular socialisation. Sometimes medication is used to supplement the effects of both systems of care, providing a chemical balancing agent to the patient’s dysregulated neurochemicals as a result of their illness.
Not all mental illness is experienced the same way by everyone who has it. Not everyone with Depression experiences the same mix of symptoms or at the same intensity. For people with an extremely prolific symptomatic experience, or for those who experience their symptoms with incredible potency, inpatient mental health care can be a great help. This kind of mental health care usually comes in two forms; either a hospital stay or a residential care stay, where the patient can stay at a facility that can provide specialised round-the-clock care.
Who Needs Inpatient Mental Health Care?
Some states only offer inpatient mental health care to patients who have a formal diagnosis of a specific mental illness. However, if you or a loved one feels that inpatient mental health care would be the best option for them then it may be worth calling your choice of facility and going through the questions listed on this guide published by Mental Health America.
Although anyone can experience a severe mental health episode, only the most extreme behaviours can warrant an inpatient mental health stay. Behaviours that may necessitate this form of care include:
- Self-harming
- Suicide attempt or plans
- Psychotic episodes
- Manic episodes
- Escalating impulsivity or high-risk behaviour
- Violent outbursts
- Altered mental states
What Does Treatment Involve?
Gone are the days when getting treated for a mental illness as an inpatient means getting shackled to a wall in an overcrowded asylum. These days, mental health care is infinitely more humane and elegant.
On arriving at the facility, you will be evaluated and admitted to a unit by a crisis team, before being familiarised with the facility’s schedule, rules regarding clothing, behaviour, and more. You will also be assigned a case worker who will work with you from start to finish.
Most adult inpatient mental health stays last around 10 days on average, while most child and adolescent mental health stays last 8 days, but depending on symptoms, risk, and engagement with the treatment plan, this stay can be longer or shorter.
While in the facility, you will likely be around other inpatients who are going through their mental health episodes. It can be distressing to see other people this way, but the staff are there to assure the safety of everyone, and you will be able to talk over any feelings with your case worker and any therapists you may work with during your time at the facility.
The Benefits of Inpatient Care
There are many reasons why a person would seek inpatient mental health care. Two of the most immediate reasons that most people find appealing are the constant access to support and the physical distance from triggers. Many people with one form of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or another find themselves in inpatient care if the stimulus that triggers their symptoms is unavoidable. However, people experiencing a mental break may also voluntarily submit themselves to inpatient care to remove themselves from their stressors and gain more control over their minds.
Inpatient care also presents patients with a routine and sense of predictability, which helps set an anxious or frequently worrying mind at ease. Socialization with other people also undergoing care for mental illness and mental health professionals provides an environment free of the risk of criticism and offers patients a sense of safety and community.
Inpatient mental health care is also usually holistic, meaning that while you are receiving treatment, your meals and the activities you take part in are usually designed to help you get the most out of your treatment.