Sources of coercive behaviours in psychiatric admissions
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Coercion during psychiatric admissions has been a topic of debate for many years. Although there has been considerable research on patients' perceptions of coercion, there has been no work on who places pressures on patients to be admitted. METHOD: This article integrates interview data from interviews with patients, admitting staff and family and friends to describe the pressures brought to bear on patients to be admitted. RESULTS: Health-care professionals appear to be the most important source of pressures on patients, and to have the most impact on patients' perceptions of coercion. However, there are differences in type of pressure, and the pressures used by family and friends appear to have the most longstanding impact. CONCLUSION: Legal and clinical efforts to reduce the level of coercive pressures on patients need to recognize the importance of mental-health professionals, including especially those who are not legally mandated to participate in the admission process.
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Many studies have found a positive association between perceived coercion and the use of threats, leverage, or displays of force.
“Many studies have found a positive association between perceived coercion and the use of threats, leverage, or displays of force [41,45,47,48,65,85,162].”
From Factors Associated with Perceived Coercion in Adults Receiving Psychiatric Care: A Scoping Review (2025) · cites this paper as [47]
Although each professional's approach does influence how care is perceived and the extent to which it is experienced as coercive, the literature also highlights that healthcare workers are trapped within systems that prevent them from intervening in ways that align with their professional values.
“Although each professional’s approach does influence how care is perceived and the extent to which it is experienced as coercive [47,83,153], the literature also highlights that healthcare workers are trapped within systems that prevent them from intervening in ways that align with their professional values, which are centered on supporting, not controlling, the person [181,182,183].”
From Factors Associated with Perceived Coercion in Adults Receiving Psychiatric Care: A Scoping Review (2025) · cites this paper as [47]
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- Authors
- Lidz, C. W., Mulvey, E. P., Hoge, S. K., Kirsch, B. L., Monahan, J., Bennett, N. S., Eisenberg, M., Gardner, W., & Roth, L. H.
- Affiliations
- University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School (US)
- University of Pittsburgh (US)
- University of Virginia (US)
- Corresponding author
- Lidz, C. W.
- Venue
- Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2000-01
- Volume
- 101
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 73-79
- ISSN
- 0001-690X (ISSN-L)
- 1600-0447
- OpenAlex
- W2151993468
- Cited by
- 36
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2025: 3 · 2023: 1 · 2021: 1 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 1 · 2015: 1 · 2014: 3 · 2013: 1 · 2012: 1
- FWCI
- 2.23
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Healthcare Decision-Making and Restraints
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychiatric care and mental health services
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Health, Medicine and Society
- Keywords
- psychiatric hospital admissions, involuntary admission, healthcare workers, family and friends, mental health professionals
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Attitude of Health Personnel, Attitude to Health, Mental Disorders, Coercion, Family, Follow-Up Studies, Forensic Psychiatry, Hospitals, Psychiatric, Humans, Interpersonal Relations, Middle Aged, Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale, Patient Admission, Patient Advocacy, Pennsylvania, Personnel, Hospital, Psychiatric Status Rating Scales, Tape Recording, Virginia, Police
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