Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Exactly Is a Psych Ward?Types of Psych WardsWhy Are People Admitted?What Happens in a Psych Ward?Can You Leave?Can You Be Restrained?Psych Ward vs. Psychiatric Hospital

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

What Exactly Is a Psych Ward?

Types of Psych Wards

Why Are People Admitted?

What Happens in a Psych Ward?

Can You Leave?

Can You Be Restrained?

Psych Ward vs. Psychiatric Hospital

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Psychiatric hospitalsare also commonly referred to as psychiatric wards or psych wards. The idea of being admitted to a psych ward can sound intimidating or even scary, but understanding more about what these facilities are and what they help with can ease these concerns.

Keep reading to learn more about what psych wards are, what they can help with, and what happens if you or someone you love is admitted as a patient at one of these psychiatric facilities.

A psych ward is dedicated solely to mental healthcare. These facilities often provide treatment for patients with serious conditions such as:

In addition, psychiatric hospitals may offer other treatments to promote the mental well-being of patients, including art therapy, music therapy, recreational therapy, and pet therapy.

What Are the Different Types of Psych Wards?

Psychiatric wards are also sometimes called mental health wards or behavioral health wards. Regardless of the name, they’re generally places designed to provide intense care for psychiatric patients whose needs cannot be adequately met in an outpatient setting.Although there are mental health facilities that focus on either children or adults, most psychiatric wards treat both groups.

Psych Ward vs. Mental Health Clinic

Psychiatric wards also offer a much more intense level of care than what’s provided inoutpatient facilities.

In fact, many psychiatric wards require that patients be admitted involuntarily because they cannot care for themselves or others due to their mental state.

In this situation, a psychiatrist evaluates the patient and decides whether extended psychiatric treatment is necessary to stabilize the individual so that outpatient therapy can begin.

Why Would You Be Admitted to a Psych Ward?

Many psychiatric wards require that patients be admitted on an involuntary basis, meaning they may not leave the facility on their own. There are several reasons why a person might be admitted to a psych ward against their wishes, including:

Involuntary psychiatric staysare generally reserved for those who pose a danger to themselves or others as a result of their mental health.

These can also be used as an alternative to jail time in the case of repeat offenders whose actions were the direct result of their psychiatric symptoms, such as untreatedschizophreniaor acute depression.

If you are having suicidal thoughts, contact theNational Suicide Prevention Lifelineat988for support and assistance from a trained counselor. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

If you are having suicidal thoughts, contact theNational Suicide Prevention Lifelineat988for support and assistance from a trained counselor. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.

For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

What Happens Once You’re Admitted to a Psych Ward?

Once you’re admitted to a psychiatric ward, you’ll continue receiving treatment and care for your condition until you’re stable enough to go back into the community. Patients are usually required to remain on the ward for several days up to several weeks, depending on their symptoms and progress.

Treatment Is IndividualizedWhile you’re in a psychiatric ward, you’ll receive an individualized treatment plan according to your condition. Because there are so many different types of psychiatric disorders, patients often receive treatments ranging from medication management to family therapy or group therapy sessions.

Treatment Is Individualized

While you’re in a psychiatric ward, you’ll receive an individualized treatment plan according to your condition. Because there are so many different types of psychiatric disorders, patients often receive treatments ranging from medication management to family therapy or group therapy sessions.

You’ll also meet with a psychiatrist who will discuss your psychiatric history and current symptoms in detail. After evaluating you, the doctor may prescribe medications to help ease your symptoms and make you more comfortable.

Types and Symptoms of Common Psychiatric Disorders

Can You Leave a Psych Ward?

In most cases, patients may leave psychiatric wards when they’re no longer a threat to themselves or others. In some cases, however, doctors may decide that patients need to remain hospitalized for further treatment and monitoring before they can be released.

Can You Be Restrained or Forced to Stay in a Psychiatric Ward?

Psychiatric wards can force patients to remain admitted for treatment if they’re considered dangerous to themselves, others, or the safety of their environment. This is known as being “committed” or “involuntarily committed.”

In most cases, a doctor must certify that you’re a threat to yourself or others before you can be involuntarily committed. In order to do this, they must have clear evidence of your mental state and behavior to make the commitment without your consent.

Depending on the severity of your condition and the type of facility, you may be restrained with wrist or ankle cuffs to keep you from harming yourself or others.Patients can also be given physical and chemical restraints if they pose a threat to themselves and others, but only under certain conditions.

Although they sound similar, psychiatric wards and psychiatric hospitals are two different types of facilities. Psychiatric hospitals (or sometimes called mental health hospitals) provide long-term care for patients with severe mental illnesses that need close observation and medical attention.

Psychiatric wards, on the other hand, provide short-term inpatient psychiatric services for patients who require immediate evaluation and treatment for their condition. They are usually found in general medical hospitals or psychiatric hospitals, depending on the type of psychiatric services they offer.

While being admitted to a hospital is always an emotional experience, you’ll likely feel even more scared when it happens in a psychiatric facility. This can be due to thestigma surrounding mental illnessor because of your own fears about what might happen during your stay. Because of this, it’s important to find ways to relax and keep yourself comfortable during your hospital stay.

Some psychiatric facilities offeryogaandmeditationas part of their therapy services, which might help you feel calmer and centered during your hospitalization. Your doctor may also prescribe sedatives or anti-anxiety medication.

Takeaways

Psych wards are designed to offer specialized, round-the-clock care to people who are dealing with serious mental illness. Admission to such facilities is often involuntary and happens if a person presents a risk to themselves or others.

Because they offer intensive, continuous care, psych wards can help stabilize people during psychiatric emergencies. They can also work to help people developcoping skillsand transition to outpatient care.

How to Admit Yourself to a Psychiatric Hospital

5 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Vermont Department of Mental Health.Psychiatric Hospitalization.Røtvold K, Wynn R.Involuntary psychiatric admission: how the patients are detected and the general practitioners' expectations for hospitalization. An interview-based study.Int J Ment Health Syst. 2016;10:20. doi:10.1186/s13033-016-0048-8Arnold BD, Moeller J, Hochstrasser L, et al.Compulsory admission to psychiatric wards-Who is admitted, and who appeals against admission?Front Psychiatry. 2019;10:544. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00544Rozel JS, Toohey T, Amin P.Legal considerations in emergency psychiatry.Focus (Am Psychiatr Publ). 2023;21(1):3-7. doi:10.1176/appi.focus.20220071Ye J, Wang C, Xiao A, et al.Physical restraint in mental health nursing: A concept analysis.Int J Nurs Sci. 2019;6(3):343-348. doi:10.1016/j.ijnss.2019.04.002

5 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Vermont Department of Mental Health.Psychiatric Hospitalization.Røtvold K, Wynn R.Involuntary psychiatric admission: how the patients are detected and the general practitioners' expectations for hospitalization. An interview-based study.Int J Ment Health Syst. 2016;10:20. doi:10.1186/s13033-016-0048-8Arnold BD, Moeller J, Hochstrasser L, et al.Compulsory admission to psychiatric wards-Who is admitted, and who appeals against admission?Front Psychiatry. 2019;10:544. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00544Rozel JS, Toohey T, Amin P.Legal considerations in emergency psychiatry.Focus (Am Psychiatr Publ). 2023;21(1):3-7. doi:10.1176/appi.focus.20220071Ye J, Wang C, Xiao A, et al.Physical restraint in mental health nursing: A concept analysis.Int J Nurs Sci. 2019;6(3):343-348. doi:10.1016/j.ijnss.2019.04.002

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Vermont Department of Mental Health.Psychiatric Hospitalization.Røtvold K, Wynn R.Involuntary psychiatric admission: how the patients are detected and the general practitioners' expectations for hospitalization. An interview-based study.Int J Ment Health Syst. 2016;10:20. doi:10.1186/s13033-016-0048-8Arnold BD, Moeller J, Hochstrasser L, et al.Compulsory admission to psychiatric wards-Who is admitted, and who appeals against admission?Front Psychiatry. 2019;10:544. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00544Rozel JS, Toohey T, Amin P.Legal considerations in emergency psychiatry.Focus (Am Psychiatr Publ). 2023;21(1):3-7. doi:10.1176/appi.focus.20220071Ye J, Wang C, Xiao A, et al.Physical restraint in mental health nursing: A concept analysis.Int J Nurs Sci. 2019;6(3):343-348. doi:10.1016/j.ijnss.2019.04.002

Vermont Department of Mental Health.Psychiatric Hospitalization.

Røtvold K, Wynn R.Involuntary psychiatric admission: how the patients are detected and the general practitioners' expectations for hospitalization. An interview-based study.Int J Ment Health Syst. 2016;10:20. doi:10.1186/s13033-016-0048-8

Arnold BD, Moeller J, Hochstrasser L, et al.Compulsory admission to psychiatric wards-Who is admitted, and who appeals against admission?Front Psychiatry. 2019;10:544. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00544

Rozel JS, Toohey T, Amin P.Legal considerations in emergency psychiatry.Focus (Am Psychiatr Publ). 2023;21(1):3-7. doi:10.1176/appi.focus.20220071

Ye J, Wang C, Xiao A, et al.Physical restraint in mental health nursing: A concept analysis.Int J Nurs Sci. 2019;6(3):343-348. doi:10.1016/j.ijnss.2019.04.002

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