Emma Davidson says a lot of 'careful thinking' goes into decisions about leave at mental health units

Emma Davidson said leave was an important part of a person's "therapeutic journey".

Ms Davidson spoke to media on Monday for the first time since an alleged stabbing at the Australian National University.

Alex Leonard Ophel, 24, was arrested after allegedly stabbing two female students with a knife and hitting two men with a frying pan during a terrifying incident at the university last week.

Ophel was staying at the Gawanggal Mental Health Unit, in Bruce, and was reported missing by staff at the facility only two minutes before police received an emergency call about the incident.

The ACT's chief psychiatrist is undertaking a review of the circumstances surrounding the incident and Ms Davidson said this review would determine what could have been done differently.

"Our mental health facilities in Canberra deal with very complex situations every day and it's a particularly complex area for mental health workers to be in," she said.

"There will, of course, be a review that the chief psychiatrist will be leading and that will look at all of the things that led to those things happenings so we can look at what we do differently."

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"It is really important for people to know that when someone is receiving care in a metal health facility, it's a therapeutic environment and everything that those healthcare workers do is around trying to help someone to get well and stay well."

Ms Davidson said leave for patients at facilities was determined by a range of factors and this was focused on helping people on their journey.

"It's really important when you are talking about leave to know there are people who might have psychiatric treatment orders or [court] orders who are in a variety of places in the community, whether that's mental health facilities or living at home in the community who might have particular things that they need to do to maintain their journey back to good health and that's what those things are designed to do," she said.

"Leave is actually an important part of that process for a lot of people and some very careful thinking goes into the decision-making around what kind of leave someone might need and how that might help them on their therapeutic journey."

Ms Davidson said her heart went out to the families of two women who were allegedly stabbed and while she hadn't met with them she would be "very open to supporting them in whatever way they feel is most appropriate for them".

Ophel has been charged with two counts of attempted murder and is due to face court next month.