Background: With a shift in psychiatric care where inpatient places have been reduced and the psychiatric care will increasingly take place in outpatient settings, patients are expected to take greater responsibility for their well-being. The difficulty for patients with serious and complex disease may be that they potentially be at risk of being refused admission when they seek help at an early stage. Therefore they might feel compelled to signal deterioration in one's health dramatic and in a destructive way, which can lead to compulsory psychiatric care with sometimes long periods of care.

Aim: To explore patients experiences of the method brief admission in psychiatric care.

Method: A literature study with 16 articles that were investigated using a qualitative approach and reviewed with thematic analysis.

Result: The results are presented in three themes with two associated subthemes. The main finding was that the participants perceived brief admission as safe. The predictability and the increased control before and during hospitalization contributed to the participants becoming more responsible for their mental well-being, they were able to focus on their coping strategies and their recovery and experienced increased health. With increased responsibility, the care relationship changed to the nurse and became more equal.

Conclusion: Brief admission increases participation, promotes self-care and changes the care relationship with the nurse. With Orem’s self-care theory, the nurse can promote cooperation with patients and contribute to increased quality of life.