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Coercive interactions in a psychiatric emergency room
Author(s) -
Lidz Charles W.,
Mulvey Edward P.,
Arnold Robert P.,
Bennett Nancy S.,
Kirsch Brenda L.
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.2370110305
Subject(s) - persuasion , commit , medicine , disposition , medical emergency , psychiatry , suicide prevention , emergency department , poison control , psychology , social psychology , computer science , database
This paper describes the prevalence of coercive and non‐coercive efforts to influence patients' admission decisions in a psychiatric emergency room. The findings are based on previously collected transcripts of the interaction between patients and families and emergency room staff in 405 cases. Although a significant percentage of the patients were involuntarily admitted, otherwise the most prominent pressures were efforts by attending physicians to persuade patients about what would be the most appropriate disposition. However, a detailed qualitative analysis of the interaction suggest that the clinical staffs power to commit patients against their will affects the way all parties interpret the staffs ‘persuasion’ in such a way that it may be understood as quite coercive.