[Compulsory admissions at the Frederiksberg hospital during the period 1 Nov 1987 to 30 Sep 1989. 1. Characteristics of the compulsory admissions and the admitted persons].

During a period of 23 months from 1 Nov. 1987 to 30 Sep. 1989, before the new Danish legislation came into force, there were 64 compulsory commitments to the Psychiatric Department in Frederiksberg Hospital. These comprised 3.6% of all the admissions which corresponds to the national average in Denmark. Equally many were admitted on health grounds (yellow admission papers) and on account of danger (red admission papers). Women were admitted more frequently than men. The distribution corresponds to the sex distribution of all psychiatric admissions in Frederiksberg and reflects a sex distribution in the municipality with preponderance of women as compared with the national Danish average. On the Danish national basis, the majority of these admissions are men. One fourth of the admission papers did not contain an adequate description of the reasons for presuming mental illness and/or the danger or health criteria. There is thus reason to encourage meticulous care in completion of the medical certificates in cases of compulsory commitment. On discharge from hospital, 14% had a "non-psychotic" diagnosis, which corresponds to the national Danish average. One month after discharge from hospital, 40% were attending outpatient treatment in the department and one year later, 38% of those followed-up were receiving outpatient treatment. In more than one third, compulsory commitment was thus followed by a prolonged period of voluntary treatment. 33% were readmitted during the subsequent year and this was compulsory in 13%.