Coercion in Psychiatry: Exploring the Subjective Experience of Coercion Among Patients in Five Portuguese Psychiatric Departments.
J Behav Health Serv Res
; 2024 Jul 10.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38987414
ABSTRACT
The subjective experience of coercion may have a more significant impact on clinical outcomes than formal coercive measures. This study aimed to investigate the subjective experience of coercion among patients on admission in Portuguese psychiatric departments by assessing their perceived coercion, procedural justice, and negative pressures during admission. The study also investigated whether this subjective experience of coercion changed with time during admission, and the predictors of this change. Validated instruments, including the McArthur Admission Experience Survey (AES) and the Client Assessment of Treatment Scale, were used to collect information from 208 adults admitted to five public psychiatric inpatient departments in rural and urban regions of Portugal. About a third (32.24%, n = 49) of the sample had a legal involuntary admission status, while more than a third of them perceived their admission to be involuntary (40.13%, n = 61). The subjective experience of coercion was significantly higher among people who perceived their admission to be involuntary compared to people who perceived their admission to be voluntary (Median = 10, IQR = 5.5 vs. Median = 3, IQR = 6; p < 0.001). Satisfaction with their care was significantly inversely correlated with the subjective experience of coercion (p < 0.01). The changes in the subjective experience of coercion at the second assessment were predicted by the perceived admission status rather than the legal admission status, and the initial procedural justice (p < 0.05). The study findings highlight the importance of improving procedural justice in psychiatric admissions, regardless of the legal status of admission.
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Language:
En
Journal:
J Behav Health Serv Res
Journal subject:
CIENCIAS DO COMPORTAMENTO
/
PESQUISA EM SERVICOS DE SAUDE
/
SERVICOS DE SAUDE
Year:
2024
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Portugal
Country of publication:
United States