united-kingdom england-and-wales medical mental-health
What are the requirements to have someone who is suicidal held involuntarily if they presented for help to A&amp;E?
<p>In the U.K (speciffically England) if someone experiencing a mental health crisis and non-specific suicidal thoughts attends A&amp;E seeking support and coping strategies, whether that is advice or medication, could the A&amp;E department apprehend them and prevent them from leaving for any period of time against their will?</p>
<p>What are the thresholds that must be proven or established to justify having someone kept for mental health reasons against their will?</p>
<p>Must their threat of harm to others or self be somewhat immediate or is a nebulous, distant thought or fear sufficient?</p>
<p>What other requirements must be met?</p>

<p>If you have:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>a mental illness which needs assessment or treatment which is sufficiently serious that it is necessary for     a. your health or safety, or
b. for the protection of other people</p>
</li>
<li><p>you need to be in hospital to have the assessment or treatment</p>
</li>
<li><p>you are unable or unwilling to agree to admission.</p>
</li>
</ol>
<p>Then you may be <a href="https://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/mental-health/treatments-and-wellbeing/being-sectioned" rel="nofollow noreferrer">sectioned</a> under the Mental Health Act and detained.</p>
