S3 — MRCPsych Paper B MCQ
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Correct answer: D — 6 months
Section 3 is the civil treatment provision of the Mental Health Act 1983. Under the law currently in force in England and Wales, the maximum initial detention period is 6 months. If the statutory criteria remain satisfied, detention may be renewed for a further 6 months and subsequently for periods of 12 months. The patient may be discharged before any maximum period expires. Twenty-eight days is the maximum duration of section 2 admission for assessment. Seventy-two hours is associated with the doctor’s holding power under section 5(2). Fourteen days is the current period within which a patient detained under section 2 may apply to the tribunal, rather than a detention duration. Twelve months applies to later section 3 renewal periods, not the initial period.
Reference: Royal College of Psychiatrists. Being sectioned (in England and Wales), section 'How long does the section last?', published 2015, checked 19 August 2026. https://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/mental-health/treatments-and-wellbeing/being-sectioned