Patients’ experience of humiliation in the admission process to acute psychiatric wards
Abstract
The objective of the study was to investigate the experiences of humiliations by patients in the admission process to acute psychiatric wards. One-hundred-and-two patients were interviewed within 48 h after hospitalization about their experiences of the admission process. The structured Admission Experience Survey questionnaire was used to identify negative events of the admission process. Perceived humiliation was defined by a cut-off on the self-reported Cantrill's Ladder Scale. Six qualitative depth interviews of patients with high and low humiliation scores were performed in order to relate interview information on humiliation experiences to the self-report. Negative events during the admission process were significantly more common among patients with involuntary admission, but were also observed among those voluntary admitted. Humiliation in connection with negative events during the admission process was reported by 48 patients, 24 involuntary and 24 voluntary admitted. In univariate analyses, humiliation was significantly associated with events where the patients were exposed to verbal or physical force, as well as with the conviction that "the admission was not right". In multivariate analyses, the latter conviction was the only significant one, although "use of physical force" also showed a trend (P=0.06). Negative events are common among the routines, procedures, and situations of the admission process to acute psychiatric wards. Some of them can hopefully be modified such as the use of verbal and physical force. In contrast, the conviction that "the admission was not right", which showed the strongest association with humiliation, seems less modifiable in the admission process.
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Four studies found no negative effect on patient satisfaction or dignity.
“However, four studies found no negative effect on patient satisfaction or dignity (112–114).”
From The benefits and harms of inpatient involuntary psychiatric treatment: a scoping review (2025) · cites this paper as [114]
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“Another issue related to IPA concerns the sense of humiliation and loss of freedom on the side of IPs (Svindseth et al., 2007; Wynn, 2018), which strengthens the stigma felt by people with mental disorders and ends up being a factor that prevents reintegration, decreases adherence to treatment, and worsens prognosis (…”
BackgroundMandarelli, G., Parmigiani, G., Trobia, F., Tessari, G., Roma, P., Biondi, M., & Ferracuti, S. (2019) · International Journal of Law and Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/j.ijlp.2018.12.006 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
- Authors
- Svindseth, M. F., Dahl, A. A., & Hatling, T.
- Affiliations
- Ålesund Hospital (NO)
- University of Oslo (NO)
- SINTEF (NO)
- Corresponding author
- Svindseth, Marit F.
- ORCID
- Dahl, Alv A.
- Venue
- Nordic Journal of Psychiatry
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2007-01
- Volume
- 61
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 47-53
- ISSN
- 0029-1455 (ISSN-L)
- 0803-9488
- 1502-4725
- OpenAlex
- W2138426677
- Cited by
- 60
- References
- 27
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 7 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 1 · 2013: 6 · 2012: 3
- FWCI
- 2.18
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Nordic Journal of Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- 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 › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Patient Dignity and Privacy
- Keywords
- humiliation, acute psychiatric wards, involuntary admission, voluntary admission, patient experience, physical force
- MeSH terms
- Acute Disease, Adult, Affect, Mental Disorders, Coercion, Female, Hospitalization, Humans, Male, Patient Admission, Patients, Professional-Patient Relations, Psychiatric Department, Hospital
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