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Coercion and ‘voluntary’ admission: An examination of psychiatric patient views
Author(s) -
Rogers Anne
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
behavioral sciences and the law
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.649
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1099-0798
pISSN - 0735-3936
DOI - 10.1002/bsl.2370110304
Subject(s) - coercion (linguistics) , feeling , volition (linguistics) , legislation , psychiatry , mental health , psychology , mental illness , turnover , psychiatric hospital , involuntary treatment , medicine , clinical psychology , social psychology , law , political science , philosophy , linguistics , management , economics
This article examines coercion in voluntary psychiatric patients. Three main themes are highlighted using qualitative and quantitative data from a sample of 412 psychiatric patients surveyed in 1990 who had experienced at least one period of hospitalisation. The themes are: the extent to which the label of ‘voluntary’ was an indicator of the patients' experience of being in hospital of their own volition; aspects of admission which patients considered to be coercive; and the impact that coercion might have on patients' views about their problem, professionals and treatment. The findings suggest that a substantial number of nominally voluntary patients reported coercive aspects of their hospitalisation. The impact of feeling coerced was found to produce a more rejecting attitude towards psychiatric services. The findings are discussed in relation to British mental health legislation and care. I particularly want to thank David Pilgrim for his collaboration with the research which made this article possible and for his useful and supportive comments. I am also indebted to John Monahan for his helpful comments on an earlier draft of this paper.