Psychiatric Elopement: Using Evidence to Examine Causative Factors and Preventative Measures

Dennis Brumbles and Adina Meister

Background: Elopement is a problem in the inpatient mental health com- munity. Elopement can have serious and long term effects for the patients and staff.
Objective: The purposes of this paper are to present a review of the literature regarding elopement and to provide recommendation for practice.

Design: Using several databases, a search of the existing literature was conducted.
Results: Elopementoccursduetoanumberoffactors,including:psychosocial issues, staffpatient interaction, the patient’s attitude toward hospitalization, and their mental illness.

Conclusion: It is important to understand why patients seek to elope from treatment facilities to prevent further occurrences.