Hampstead Hospital – Hampstead

Hello. I was here once in 2023, and again back in June of 26. The first time was alright, I guess, though I was sexually assaulted by another patient and was let out after two days because my insurance wouldn’t cover… it. This time, I was in for EXACTLY eight days. Each and every day had a new, poorly managed situation, of which I’ll go through here. June 7 : Nothing eventful necessarily, though I did IMMEDIATELY get greeted with another patient belting out the national anthem, horribly off key. June 8 : Was denied my journal that I keep for sanity purposes, and got my privs June 9 : I finally got my journal after having to frame it as a religious item. (Not a lie, but still.) June 10 : Got my hands on a pencil for my journal, which I still have and use regularly. There was a giant fight that night, too. The first of many, and three people got the needle. Two new arrivals, W and T. June 11 : Five people got discharged, Z, K, MI, MY, and also W whose guardian heard about the fight and neither felt safe having them stay. Also, explained to staff that I didn’t feel comfortable or safe eating around fellow patients, and got shrugged off. On a better note, I replicated a drawing in Ari’s studio and relearned how to draw. There was also a new patient, KR. N was also being a prick, and I had a huge breakdown from stress and loneliness in addition to being deprived of my coping mechanisms. Craig, easily the best staff member there, took time out of his day to comfort me when he didn’t have to. June 12 : Nothing too eventful, just N being a prick and giving everyone a headache. June 13 : N made fun of someone with an eating disorder after nagging me for a drawing, and made fun of me in an group after I confided about being raped and losing the life of my partner. ZI and T got him to shut up after I nailed him from across the room with my shoe. June 14 : A HUGE fight broke out between basically all the staff and patients on Lincoln. Tables were being thrown in the group room, and both me and B were getting berated for helping out another patient when the staff wouldn’t. June 15 : I was discharged later in the day, but there was so much tension that you could feel it physically. Overall, don’t send your child or self here. It isn’t worth any of the time and money, and just makes the problem worse. Also if the staff member who was responsible for the giant fight on the 14th is still there, give her disciplinary action. Whoever is in charge of your facility almost certainly knows who she is because of the amount of paperwork filed after. Edited because I accidentally gave 2 stars, not 1.

Went here when I was like 14 got sexually assaulted by another kid and my property was destroyed in front of me while I was in the "seclusion room" asked multiple times over the course of 30 minutes to use the bathroom… and they refused not only this but another person in there was drugged up so hard she was passed out for 3 days and about 2 days after she was still really out of it if I had the mental wherewithal to report to the police I would don't EVER send your teen here

I was treated here a few years ago, I’ve waited years to reviews it because I wanted to be able to look back on it without bias. This facility will try to treat you for however many days your insurance will cover, you… can stay longer but they frame it as if you’ve gotten better in that time when they have essentially pacified you for a week or two. I made many friends here many have since passed. This facility is great on paper but they treat the patient as test subjects essentially while they try to dose meds correctly I’ll never forget the high I got off of a sleeping med they tried me on one night lol. Side note, when I was in treatment a staff member was giving her Snapchat to minors

In my professional opinion, the State of New Hampshire made a serious mistake in designating Hampstead Hospital as a designated receiving facility. Based on my interactions and observations, it is one of the most poorly… managed psychiatric facilities I have encountered. Communication is often inconsistent, decisions appear disconnected from the clinical realities presented by patients, families, hospitals, and community providers, and the reconsideration process can be unnecessarily difficult. A psychiatric facility serving high-risk children and adolescents must demonstrate strong clinical leadership, timely communication, accountability, and a willingness to collaborate with referring professionals. Too often, Hampstead appears dismissive of legitimate safety concerns and reluctant to engage in meaningful discussion when providers disagree with a denial or disposition decision. This creates additional stress for families and leaves community hospitals responsible for managing patients who may require a higher level of care. The state should conduct a thorough review of Hampstead’s leadership, admission practices, clinical decision-making, staffing, and overall performance as a designated receiving facility. New Hampshire needs a dependable psychiatric hospital that works collaboratively with families and community providers. In my experience, Hampstead has not consistently met that standard, and significant improvements in oversight, transparency, responsiveness, and patient-centered care are urgently needed.

Was here in 2023. Was managed by Wellpath, a prison company that was owned by HIG Capital, a large private equity firm. The abuse I saw there is the best argument against private equity I know. Thankfully Dartmouth… Health, a non-profit, runs it now.

mixed feelings. went twice one for od and one for anger issues. the first time felt like i was cared for and was seen as a good person. when Dartmouth health took over all i rember is the doctor taking me off Adderall,… to Vyvanse, hated it, told the doc 3 TIMES, only after that and a friend there told the staff did i switch back. food was great tho. if all put together, id say 3.5/5 but my other friends who went here got "less then favorable" reactions

I got touched in the shower by one of the staff in ~2018, they threw away drinks brought to me, and accused me of "hiding knives", I didn't get to sleep in a room while in one of the units, I got a mattress in the… hallway, surrounded by staff talking, and bright lights, I got given a mystery medication that wildly hurt my stomach while I was there, I have no idea what it was, and didn't continue it after

There is so much wrong with this place. Going here when I was 16, I'm currently 22, made me regret talking about my problems. Everyone is forced into a tiny room where you fill out paperwork. We never really discussed… anything that stuck with me. The tasks were repetitive and boring. There were so many aggressive teenagers in one room we had problems daily. The staff would argue with the patients over the tiniest things, and not provide help. Half of the staff obviously didnt like the patients, or a little too interested in patients. I saw older staff members flirt with younger patients. I got yelled at as soon as I came out of my bedroom because I was wearing a skirt and a tank top, those were the clothes I came in I didnt have any others. The lady started berating me, telling me to go back into my room. She said I knew the rules. I didnt I was new. I had to ask other staff for help getting new clothes. I never got to see a real doctor. A week was the mandatory staying period for me. I just got worse and worse but I couldn't let it show because I knew they would try and keep me there. Every night I would cry myself to sleep hoping I could leave. I never got diagnosed with anything. I was held away from home for a week with no real help. Once I left the hospital thats when I saw a real doctor. Someone who actually cared. Please go see a real doctor, this place isnt qualified.

I would give it Zero stars if I even could! AVOID here if you can! Saw my son Saturday and asking to be released early, I told him i don’t know, either way he was uncomfortable, so I agreed to call to ask about the… process, so I called them at 1:42pm ONLY asking about the process I let them Know I’m on my way to visit with his 3 other adults with me. I was only asking about the process just wanted to ask and get information! THAT WAS IT! NEXT thing you know I get a call from the psychiatrist saying he’s cleared, and then very suddenly the staff comes in the conference room with my son and his stuff I NEVER ONCE SAID I WAS GETTING HIM OUT. I ONLY ASKED AS I MADE A PROMISE TO HIM THAT I WOULD as any parent would on behalf of their child! It was all forced to get him out I was only there for a visit and asked about the process. Later that night the staff member Tanya documented that I was going against AMA! that I apparently I forgot I was picking up my son, and had a vehicle full of people and again I CALLED AND STATED I ONLY WANTED TO KNOW THE PROCESS!! NEVER ONCE SAID IM GETTING HIM OUT! THEY FORCED IT VERY QUICKLY!! She also stated she was worried i wouldn’t go back but I OFFERED TO STAY with my son while my husband brings back the other 2 adults! She failed to even say mom has been calling and seeing him, failed to mention that I only called to ask about the process, they with held several other issues, you could see my son was not okay when he was in the room, my son was hurting and needed to find out why my job as a parent is to protect my children no matter what. They presigned a AMA FORM! I went in to only visit and it DID NOT TURN OUT GOOD THIS WAS NOT OKAY

The medical approach here is superficial; they focus strictly on treating the symptoms rather than the actual problem. If your child just needs a basic prescription or a quick fix for a minor symptom, this place might… suffice. However, if you are looking for real progress or a solution to an underlying issue, avoid this hospital at all costs. The doctors did not listen to the concerns wife and I had or other previous diagnoses from professionals -it was all about getting them on meds. For any parent seeking comprehensive care or long-term improvement for their child, I strongly recommend looking for a facility that prioritizes thorough diagnostics over "band-aid" treatments.

Jackie is a senior counselor in Madison unit and she was absolutely the best. I was on the tail end of the flu and got sick because of my anxiety and she was there and helped me same with the nurses and we played card… games and talked A LOT she really needs her own mental health days and genuinely loved my stay because of her. Bought pizza for the unit and everything. The nurses were great one bought ice cream and the other understand my anxiety and why I was so sick and Megan with my meds she knew what I needed and how I could take them. Emma(Emanuel) was genuinely the funniest and sweetest friend there (another counselor) we played card games and btw I taught them all king corners. But he was super awesome super nice. When it was night he closed my door so it was just a crack because the loud noises of walking and the lights in the hallways. He made sure it was a safe environment for me. Now onto the actual mental health stuff I had a good time with the groups mainly anxiety made it bad but they were definitely fun we did a lot of art I painted my nails and the staff in the activities room let me play my type of music heavy metal. So definitely great. I met some awesome people won't say any last names but Connor and Ava and adysan made my stay so much better because they had similar stuff going on and I could really connect with them. I hope Jackie sees this cus y'all did really help me out cus I needed this escape. Thank you so much.

I posted a review about staff in the disability unit. And it was many years ago but now I’m remembering more details. Especially Julie and Maria. One would escalate an autistic meltdown and mock patients appearance and… one would push disabled patients and yell at them. And another staff said to a patient her hair “smells like poop”. Another staff told everyone a patient was touching their own private area. Be more professional. Hope this hospital is doing better. The thing is I was told “they care” But how is that caring? On top of that one of the staff said I need to be more respectful to Julie after I got mad for the way she treated me.

If i could give negative i would, only positive thing was they found the right med type i guess came to that conclusion before though, was not the right med and way to high of a dose. found out there was other food… options on my last day. I had told staff i was a picky eater as well. If i ever here hyperpop again i may have an episode. Staff was incredibly rude (i had no incidents with them specifically) just not nice in general felt more like jail. -999/10 go to mclean hospital in mass instead.

Horrible experience 2018

i want around 5-6 years ago, i had a kinda okay experience just because of the the other kids there at the time. though most the staff was rude and unprofessional. this place honestly worsened my mental health.

It is not open 24 hours a day. The two times I needed it, both times at night, they were closed. No cars in the lot, and the doors were locked.

Awful I went in transferred from Dartmouth when I went in my anxiety spiked I had a staff refer me as knife patient it got loud and they just kept playing music first night sucked night staff is loud and same with the… second I was there for 3 days before my mom got me i started to get itchy there and when I left my head was still itchy didn't think much of it because I had issues with dry scalp my mom was checking my hair thinking she saw things 3 weeks later finally find it got head lice bunch beds and pillows should be cleaned better and should check people for lice

Hello. I don’t have much great word of this place. I’ve been to this psychiatric hospital 4 times over the span of maybe 2 years when I was 12-14. I was in three different units, pierce lincoln and washington before it… was renovated. In 2020 the experience within the washington unit was not bad at all, I was able to go in instead of being evaluated by medical hospital as it was COVID. It was funny watching some of the arguments that pursued there. Anyways, oh pierce unit which was a younger unit. I had a physical altercation with a female, and the amount of young children within this unit was extremely distressing especially if you’re trying to recover from any sort of trauma, or mental health in general. Now, I’ve been on lincoln unit twice, the first time I hardly remember it was 2021? But I do not recall much of it. The fourth and final visit I’ve had to Hampstead left me traumatised, in so many ways. I was physically assaulted by another patient who jumped into an already going on altercation and deliberately beat on ME. And the staff? They stood all around doing nothing nearly laughing in my face I swear. He nearly broke my orbital and I had to receive an ultrasound on my face as well as be brought to the hospital(?) not sure what it was. I was also sexually assaulted on this unit in the same trip by a person whom I was roomed with. Overall, if you have any issues that are not bare minimum stuff like depression, anxiety do NOT go here. They will not treat you with care, respect or any dignity and you will be treated as if you are subhuman.

i just got discharged from this place yesterday and it was the best experience i have ever had, this place has helped with my anxiety so so much and the staff are so incredibly nice and supportive and helpful. i was on… the pierce unit and i absolutely loved everyone that was there and all of the people i met there, and i absolutely loved everything about it i was honestly sad to leave because i made friends and the staff were so supportive of me and genuinely cared about how i felt, and i got used to it very quickly and the people that are saying that this place is bad and saying that they made you sleep in the cafe and wouldn’t let you contact anyone are just lying to you because that is not what happens at all and they take very good care of you and actually care about you and about you getting better. thank you so so much to all the staff that works there (in the pierce unit especially) i love all the staff (sarah,jill,dady,tracy,megan,duncan,sean,wil,philip, ari,rodrigue,thaly,alanna, i literally love you guys thank you for helping me)

I'm writing this a year late but this is the worst hospital I have ever been to the staff can't handle the kids they are rude and make it obvious they hate their job they don't try to make any accommodations they got… cps involved when it was not necessary and put me on a medication I didn't need i also saw them put a patient on medication that almost killed them because they didn't bother to check if said person had heart issues if you are looking to get help don't come here it will make it worse and bugs everywhere like everywhere ur taking a shower they will crawl on u ur taking a piss they will crawl on u ur sitting in ur room yup u guessed it they will crawl on u

When I was 17 I went to Hampstead hospital, was put on the 15-17 unit, however there was a kid there (14) who was on the younger unit but was too "uncontrollable." Friend and I were coloring at the table, he was being… loud with some guys. My friend asked him to please quiet down, and he flipped a switch and became angry. I stood up to go to my room to avoid the situation, and he punched me in the eye, thinking I was intimidating him. Begged staff to let me call my parents because they wouldn't do it themselves. Couldn't hear my mom over the sound of him screaming in isolation next to the phone for me to "hurry up and kill myself." My parents tried to press charges, but the staff kept saying he would not be allowed back into the community group. Not even 20 minutes later, he was out and about watching tv with everyone like nothing happened. We called the police to press charges, but nothing came of it. He should have been in juvie, not a mental health hospital. He had been there for months already, and had hit another person on that unit. Another person I befriended got sexually abused by a male staff member, and when reported to my social worker I was told to "stay out of matters." Male staff was there still the rest of my stay. Made weird comments about our feet, that if we keep wearing the non grippy socks he'll peel them off for us. Do not let your children go here. If the ER says it's the fastest option, WAIT. You're safer in the ER than in Hampstead.

Staff was great and got me help

., multiple mishaps led me to get sick in different ways ,, I could’ve died and they weren’t able to treat me I could only be examined by a male doctor.. They treated me without anyone’s permission and stuck me with… needles in my sleep starting with the first night, my meds were a pill that he was testing on me, im not prescribed anything for personal reasons that I’ve spoke up about to providers. I took it up with the doctor how they affect me and the whole situation I asked to speak to someone else in the hospital or a lawyer, they said I had no rights and the doctor was in charge of the whole hospital. he proceeds with “treatment”. I “dreamt” a familiar staff member was in my room at night when I spoke up he was on every other day. The staff made fun of me with other kids and staff members for a month,, teased me about going home for a month, stained / stole my clothes , put their fingers in my drink, and theyre just overall unsanitary. I now struggle with weight from the meds and mistrust of doctors. I was sent in by mistake from a hospital I went to for medical treatment and my original issue wasn’t ever addressed. Whatever they gave me made my issues worse every day which were not anything to be treated for in the first place just for profit.

I'm the grandfather of a former resident of Hampstead hospital and I'm very disappointed that the hospital staff would allow a bully to terrorize other residents inside the unit and not discipline the bully. Shame on… them!!!!!

The place is ok. There where bugs literally 5 seconds being there a girl walked out of her room saying she found a flea the staff member told her to put it under the door witch i felt was weird and made me very unsure… about the place. Also there was a staff member that antagonized me and some of the other teens there was some amazing staff like Makenzie and Liz they really helped me adjust and feel a bit better about the place.I did notice some things like some teen getting access to paper clips taking them from a office room staff would put us in for visits there would be no staff member in the room for visits and it was very easily witch could lead to something bad.

i was sent here twice a couple months ago and the first time was super scary i was in the early teen unit as i hadn’t turned 16 yet a girl who had been there for years was already threatening to fight me and ngl i was… terrified bc the girl seemed crazy staff didnt really care what the kids were saying and doing, although a lot of these ppl really do care for u a lot could care less and are extremely rude the first time around was really scary but i was there for 10 days i was not set up with my mental health when i left so i wasn’t able to get my meds and still don’t have them i was not warned abt the side affect of stopping these meds so sudden and it destroyed my face and my body and ever be a long to eat or sleep without the meds, the second time i was in a the late teens unit and was very uncomfortable as i was the only girl, they did nothing to make me feel less uncomfortable and a boy had actually convinced me to make out with him, as a cause of me being the only girl i made my parents sign me out they also diagnosed me the second time with random stuff that i have no symptoms of they gave me no new meds and weren’t really helping which also made the decision to end my treatment early easier i’m out now been for months but i honestly think ik worse then when entered