Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36200433›Full record

ArticleCanadian journal of psychiatry. Revue canadienne de psychiatrie2023

Trends in Involuntary Psychiatric Hospitalization in British Columbia: Descriptive Analysis of Population-Based Linked Administrative Data from 2008 to 2018.

Jackson P Loyal, M Ruth Lavergne, Mehdi Shirmaleki, Benedikt Fischer, Ridhwana Kaoser, Jack Makolewksi, Will Small

Open access · greenAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Canadian journal of psychiatry. Revue canadienne de psychiatrie, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
2.5field-weighted citation impact, top 11% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed, 14 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Abolition of coercion in psychiatry on the horizon? A descriptive ecologic data study from six European countries.European psychiatry : the journal of the Association of European Psychiatrists · 2026
    Article
  3. Article
  4. A call for upstream solutions to the unregulated drug crisis in British Columbia, Canada: Locked up or locked out.Canadian journal of public health = Revue canadienne de sante publique · 2025
    Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 3 institutions in 3 countries.

Jackson P LoyalFaculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-0397-4498
M Ruth LavergneDepartment of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-4205-4600
Mehdi ShirmalekiFaculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada.
Benedikt FischerCentre for Applied Research in Mental Health and Addiction, Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-2186-4030
Ridhwana KaoserFaculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada.
Jack MakolewksiFaculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada.
Will SmallFaculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada.
Simon Fraser University · CADalhousie University · CAUniversity of Auckland · NZ

Funding

CIHR 148170
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionInvoluntary psychiatric hospitalization occurs when someone with a serious mental disorder requires treatment without their consent. Trends vary globally, and currently, there is limited data on involuntary hospitalization in Canada. We examine involuntary hospitalization trends in British Columbia, Canada, and describe the social and clinical characteristics of people ages 15 and older who were involuntarily hospitalized between 2008/2009 and 2017/2018.

methodWe used population-based linked administrative data to examine and compare trends in involuntary and voluntary hospitalizations for mental and substance use disorders. We described patient characteristics (sex/gender, age, health authority, income, urbanity/rurality, and primary diagnosis) and tracked the count of involuntarily hospitalized people over time by diagnosis. Finally, we examined population-based prevalence over time by age and sex/gender.

resultsInvoluntary hospitalizations among British Columbians ages 15 and older rose from 14,195 to 23,531 (65.7%) between 2008/2009 and 2017/2018. Apprehensions involving police increased from 3,502 to 8,009 (128.7%). Meanwhile, voluntary admissions remained relatively stable, with a minimal increase from 17,651 in 2008/2009 to 17,751 in 2017/2018 (0.5%). The most common diagnosis for involuntary patients in 2017/2018 was mood disorders (25.1%), followed by schizophrenia (22.3%), and substance use disorders (18.8%). From 2008/2009 to 2017/2018, the greatest increase was observed for substance use disorders (139%). Over time, population-based prevalence increased most rapidly among women ages 15-24 (162%) and men ages 15-34 (81%) and 85 and older (106%).

conclusionFindings highlight the need to strengthen the voluntary care system for mental health and substance use, especially for younger adults, and people who use substances. They also signal a need for closer examination of the use of involuntary treatment for substance use disorders, as well as further research exploring forces driving police involvement and its implications.

Indexed as

Involuntary TreatmentMental DisordersSubstance-Related DisordersAdolescentAdultBritish ColumbiaCommitment of Persons with Psychiatric DisordersFemaleHospitalizationHumansMaleYoung Adultcoercive treatmenthealth administrative datainvoluntary hospitalizationmental healthsubstance use

Identifiers

PMID36200433
PMCPMC10037746
OpenAlexW4302290781

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.