However, to date, much of the attention on the ‘weekend effect’ has focussed on those who seek admission for a physical healthcare issue rather than a mental health issue. It is important to study the effects of weekend admission on mental health patients, given that community mental health services usually provide mental healthcare during the working week only, and whilst inpatient care in psychiatric hospitals is provided throughout the week, there is reduced scheduled activity at the weekend (Jacobs, 2011).

This blog outlines the findings from two studies recently published in the British Journal of Psychiatry that have investigated the weekend effect in mental health patients.