title: Patients leaving hospital without the knowledge or permission of staff--absconding.
abstract: A series of 100 consecutive psychiatric in-patients who absconded from a psychiatric hospital a total of 231 times over ten months was studied. The reasons given for absconding, duration of absence, and mode of return are described. The legal status and ethnic origins of absconders differed significantly from those of the base hospital population.
authors.affiliation: Springfield (University Designated) Hospital, London.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Falkowski
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Watts
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Falkowski
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dean
mesh_terms: D001294:Attitude to Health; D003657:Decision Making; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006746:Hospital Bed Capacity, 500 and over; D006778:Hospitals, Psychiatric / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008131:London; D008297:Male; D010352:Patient Dropouts / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010361:Patients / Q000523:psychology; D011446:Prospective Studies