Perceived coercion and need for hospitalization related to psychiatric admission
Abstract
Psychiatric hospitalization constitutes a moment of major stress to the point that occurrences of posttraumatic stress disorders have been described. Feelings of coercion are usual, whatever the legal status of admission. Patients may also consider afterwards that they needed hospitalization even if they refused it initially. A cross-sectional survey has been conducted among the inpatients of a Swiss psychiatric hospital to assess their subjective view of admission with emphasis on legal status, perceived coercion and need for hospitalization. Eighty-seven questionnaires were completed and analyzed. Results indicated that 74% of patients felt that they had been under pressure to be hospitalized, whether or not they were involuntarily admitted. Seventy percent felt their admission was necessary. More involuntary patients reported a subjective lack of improvement. Clinicians could decrease feelings of coercion of their patients while discussing need for hospitalization, legal status and subjective feeling of coercion as different dimensions. An argument is presented to favor positive pressure from social environment over legal involuntary commitment in many hospitalizations.
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Involuntary admission may be associated with difficulties establishing clinical rapport and patient insight into illness.
“However, involuntary admission may be associated with difficulties establishing clinical rapport and patient insight into illness (12,49,50).”
From The benefits and harms of inpatient involuntary psychiatric treatment: a scoping review (2025) · cites this paper as [12]
Among voluntarily admitted people, the proportion who did not correctly state their legal status ranged from 1% to 12%.
“Among voluntarily admitted people, the proportion who did not correctly state their legal status ranged from 1% to 12% (12,15).”
From The benefits and harms of inpatient involuntary psychiatric treatment: a scoping review (2025) · cites this paper as [12]
All studies that examined patient knowledge of legal status found significant confusion among both people treated on an involuntary and voluntary basis regarding their legal rights or status.
“All studies that examined patient knowledge of legal status found significant confusion among both people treated on an involuntary and voluntary basis regarding their legal rights or status (10–15).”
From The benefits and harms of inpatient involuntary psychiatric treatment: a scoping review (2025) · cites this paper as [12]
The proportion of people in involuntary care who did not know their legal status ranged from 12% to 45%, with a median of 28.5%.
“The proportion of people in involuntary care who did not know their legal status ranged from 12% (12) to 45% (11,15), with a median of 28.5%.”
From The benefits and harms of inpatient involuntary psychiatric treatment: a scoping review (2025) · cites this paper as [12]
Perceptions of coercion were not necessarily related to objective legal status.
“As a result, perceptions of coercion were not necessarily related to objective legal status (12,33), with high degrees of perceived coercion found among those receiving voluntary care (11,13–15,27,29).”
From The benefits and harms of inpatient involuntary psychiatric treatment: a scoping review (2025) · cites this paper as [12]
Close relatives used threats or pressures even among voluntary patients.
“even among voluntary patients [60].”
From Factors Associated with Perceived Coercion in Adults Receiving Psychiatric Care: A Scoping Review (2025) · cites this paper as [60]
Many voluntary patients also reported feeling coerced.
“Notably, many voluntary patients also reported feeling coerced [15,35,44,54,60,64,93,105,115]”
From Factors Associated with Perceived Coercion in Adults Receiving Psychiatric Care: A Scoping Review (2025) · cites this paper as [60]
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References 12 · Cited by 58
- Authors
- Bonsack, C., & Borgeat, F.
- Affiliations
- Hôpital de Cery (CH)
- Corresponding author
- Borgeat, François
- ORCID
- Bonsack, Charles
- Venue
- International Journal of Law and Psychiatry
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2005-07
- Volume
- 28
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 342-347
- ISSN
- 0160-2527 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2085277062
- Cited by
- 58
- References
- 12
- Citations by year
- 2025: 3 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 1 · 2014: 5 · 2013: 2 · 2012: 4
- FWCI
- 1.54
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- International Journal of Law and Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- IRIS (submittedVersion)
- DigitalGeorgetown (Georgetown University Library) (submittedVersion)
- SERVAL (Université de Lausanne) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Healthcare Decision-Making and Restraints
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychiatric care and mental health services
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Electroconvulsive Therapy Studies
- Keywords
- perceived coercion, psychiatric hospitalization, involuntary admission, post-traumatic stress disorder, subjective improvement, patient experience
- MeSH terms
- Acute Disease, Adult, Mental Disorders, Coercion, Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, Health Services Needs and Demand, Hospitalization, Hospitals, Psychiatric, Humans, Male, Patient Admission, Surveys and Questionnaires
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