Walker S, Mackay E, Barnett P, et al. - Via performing a systematic review, meta-analysis, and narrative synthesis, researchers sought to determine the risk factors at the patient, service, and area-level associated with involuntary psychiatric hospitalization of adults. Searching MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Embase, and the Cochrane Controlled Clinical Register of Trials, they included 77 studies from 22 countries. The analysis revealed an association of involuntary rather than voluntary hospitalization with male gender, single marital status, unemployment, receiving welfare benefits, being diagnosed with a psychotic disorder or bipolar disorder, and previous involuntary hospitalization. Factors associated with the greatest risk of involuntary psychiatric hospitalization comprise previous involuntary hospitalization and diagnosis of a psychotic disorder. For preventive interventions, such as crisis planning, people with these risk factors represent an important target group. Increased risk for involuntary hospitalization was observed in correlation with economic deprivation on an individual level and at the population level.