Hi, may i ask how is life at IMH for a 15 year old studying in a secondary school?
Thanks for asking this — it’s a really thoughtful question. I don’t have the experience to answer properly, but I’m sure someone here might. Either way, just want to say it’s okay to ask, and I hope you or the person you’re thinking of finds the support they need 
well…from what i know things changed a lot since i was last there in 2001. And being a victim of their unkind treatment, that is the last place i will tell someone to seek help.
There are other general hospitals that provide psychiatric inpatient care that you can consider seeking help from first.
Based on what i know for IMH that still applies today is that:
you get to wear home clothes in thr ward for children.
You need to wash your own plates and change your own bedsheets.
You need to follow their strict routine. Such as shower in the morning for everyone.
That place is escape proof unlike general hospitals. If anything bad happen between you and the staff, there is no way out of it.
There is 24/7 CCTV in most part of the wards.
Expect no privacy. The staff and poke their head in and watch you shower.
If you have history of self harming, prepare to be ask to expose yourself to them
You cannot leave during your admission, so you cannot go to school
If they make you spend over 3 months there, you might just have hard time catching up with school.
Wow, sounds worse than my stay for 3 days as an adult
Adult wise depends on which ward bah. Ever read about the news on the abuse case in their intensive ward? All the patients are on suicide and/or self harm watch, 24/7 restraints. And the staff use sedatives on them and touch them when they are sedated.
If you are lucky things is good. but not for some of them.
Yeah, i have seen restraints using bedsheets. I was given sleeping pills cuz i complained that its noisy. Ive never heard of the sedated n touched thing b4
well…the environment there from my psychiatrist’s point of view, is suitable for serious case only. Cause the environment is very noisy and very strictive and if you go to male ward you will smell very strong pee smell.
When I was there as a volunteer i ask about the bad smell on their clothing, and the staff told me their laundry budget was very low. so have smell.