For a more detailed guide, contact the Mental Health Act Commission, Maid Marlan, 56 Hounds Gate, Nottingham, NG1 6BG. Recent figures suggest that 95% of persons in receipt of treatment for a mental health problem whilst in hospital are ‘informal' receivers of care and treatment. The remaining 5% of persons receiving treatment in hospital are compulsory detained and are known as ‘formal' patients.

There are six categories, listed below, for which the Mental Health Act can be used to treat and care for somebody in hospital.

Definitions

Mental Disorder means mental illness, arrested or incomplete development of mind, psychopathic disorder and any other disorder or disability of mind.

Severe mental impairment means a state of arrested or incomplete development of mind, which includes severe impairment of intelligence and social functioning and is associated with abnormally aggressive or seriously irresponsible conduct.

Mental impairment means a state of arrested or incomplete development of mind (not amounting to severe mental impairment), which includes significant impairment of intelligence and social functioning and is associated with abnormally aggressive or seriously irresponsible conduct.

Psychopathic disorder means a persistent disorder or disability of mind (whether or not including significant impairment of intelligence), which results in abnormally aggressive or seriously irresponsible conduct.

Mental illness is undefined, and its operational definition and usage is a matter of clinical judgement. Medical treatment includes nursing care, habilitation and rehabilitation under medical supervision.