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

BackgroundElopement is a problem in the inpatient mental health community. Elopement can have serious and long term effects for the patients and staff.ObjectiveThe purposes of this paper are to present a review of the literature regarding elopement and to provide recommendation for practice.DesignUsing several databases, a search of the existing literature was conducted.ResultsElopement occurs due to a number of factors, including: psychosocial issues, staff–patient interaction, the patient's attitude toward hospitalization, and their mental illness.ConclusionIt is important to understand why patients seek to elope from treatment facilities to prevent further occurrences.