Characteristics of psychiatric hospital absconders

Absence of patients without leave is common in Psychiatric hospitals, and causes anxiety to staff, relatives and the lay public. This study attempted to identify the characteristics of patients absconding from Mental Hospital Lahore over one year. Absconders were predominantly male, young, compulsorily admitted, and discharged with a diagnosis of schizophrenia. They tended to single, had many previous admissions, and a longer total length of stay and the police were more often involved in their admission. Reasons for absconding and the implications for management of newly admitted psychiatric patients are discussed