Patients’ Perspectives on the Experience of Absconding From a Psychiatric Hospital: a Qualitative Study

Background: Absconding (i.e., escaping) is common among patients with mental illness admitted to psychiatric hospitals. Patients use various strategies to make absconding successful due to the experiences faced during admission. We conducted a study to identify patients’ perspectives on the experience of absconding from the psychiatry facility.

Methods: We conducted 10 in-depth interviews with patients with a history of absconding from the …