Understanding empowerment, meaning, and perceived coercion in individuals with serious mental illness

This study investigated the relationship among the variables of perceived coercion, psychiatric symptoms, empowerment, and meaning in an inpatient sample of individuals with serious mental illness ( N= 94). It was hypothesized that empowerment would be strongly related to the level of psychiatric symptoms and meaning, but not significantly related to coercion. Participants were recruited from inpatient facilities and completed the MacArthur Perceived Coercion Scale, the Empowerment Scale, the Brief Symptom Inventory, and the Life Purpose Questionnaire. The results suggested that empowerment is significantly associated with the presence of meaning in one's life as well as the level of psychiatric symptoms. Coercion was not significantly related to empowerment. Implications for clinical practice are discussed. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Psychol 65: 1–12, 2009.