Psychiatric Patients' Views on Why Their Involuntary Hospitalisation Was Right or Wrong: a Qualitative Study

Overview

Journal Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol

Specialties Psychiatry
Public Health
Social Sciences

Date 2011 Aug 25

PMID 21863281

Citations 31

Authors

Christina Katsakou

Diana Rose

Tim Amos

Len Bowers

Rosemarie McCabe

Danielle Oliver

Til Wykes

Stefan Priebe

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Purpose: To explore involuntary patients' retrospective views on why their hospitalisation was right or wrong.

Methods: Involuntary patients were recruited from 22 hospitals in England and interviewed in-depth. The study drew on grounded theory and thematic analysis.

Results: Most of the patients felt mentally unwell before admission and out of control during their treatment. Despite these common experiences, three groups of patients with distinct views on their involuntary hospitalisation were identified: those who believed that it was right, those who thought it was wrong and those with ambivalent views. Those with retrospectively positive views believed that hospitalisation ensured that they received treatment, averted further harm and offered them the opportunity to recover in a safe place. They felt that coercion was necessary, as they could not recognise that they needed help when acutely unwell. Those who believed that involuntary admission was wrong thought that their problems could have been managed through less coercive interventions, and experienced hospitalisation as an unjust infringement of their autonomy, posing a permanent threat to their independence. Patients with ambivalent views believed that they needed acute treatment and that hospitalisation averted further harm. Nonetheless, they thought that their problems might have been managed through less coercive community interventions or a shorter voluntary hospitalisation.

Conclusions: The study illustrates why some patients view their involuntary hospitalisation positively, whereas others believe it was wrong. This knowledge could inform the development of interventions to improve patients' views and treatment experiences.

Citing Articles

Delayed discharge in inpatient psychiatric care: a systematic review.

Teale A, Morgan C, Jenkins T, Jacobsen P Int J Ment Health Syst. 2024; 18(1):14.

PMID: 38582904 PMC: 10998409. DOI: 10.1186/s13033-024-00635-9.

Exploring Patients' Feeling of Being Coerced During Psychiatric Hospital Admission: A Qualitative Study.

Silva B, Bachelard M, Bonsack C, Golay P, Morandi S Psychiatr Q. 2023; 94(3):411-434.

PMID: 37452928 PMC: 10460343. DOI: 10.1007/s11126-023-10039-6.

Feeling coerced during voluntary and involuntary psychiatric hospitalisation: A review and meta-aggregation of qualitative studies.

Silva B, Bachelard M, Rosselet Amoussou J, Martinez D, Bonalumi C, Bonsack C Heliyon. 2023; 9(2):e13420.

PMID: 36820044 PMC: 9937983. DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e13420.

A qualitative integrative analysis of service users' and service providers' perspectives on ways to reduce coercion in mental health care.

Aluh D, Onu J, Ayilara O, Pedrosa B, Silva M, Grigaite U Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 2023; 58(9):1353-1363.

PMID: 36781485 DOI: 10.1007/s00127-023-02435-x.

Psychiatric patients' attitudes towards being hospitalized: a national multicentre study in Norway.

Hustoft K, Larsen T, Bronnick K, Joa I, Johannessen J, Ruud T BMC Psychiatry. 2022; 22(1):726.

PMID: 36414961 PMC: 9682722. DOI: 10.1186/s12888-022-04362-8.

References

Katsakou C, Priebe S . Patient's experiences of involuntary hospital admission and treatment: a review of qualitative studies. Epidemiol Psichiatr Soc. 2007; 16(2):172-8. DOI: 10.1017/s1121189x00004802. View

HOYER G . On the justification for civil commitment. Acta Psychiatr Scand Suppl. 2000; 399:65-71. View

Cooke M, Peters E, Kuipers E, Kumari V . Disease, deficit or denial? Models of poor insight in psychosis. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 2005; 112(1):4-17. DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0447.2005.00537.x. View

Lidz C, Hoge S, Gardner W, Bennett N, Monahan J, Mulvey E . Perceived coercion in mental hospital admission. Pressures and process. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1995; 52(12):1034-9. DOI: 10.1001/archpsyc.1995.03950240052010. View

Katsakou C, Priebe S . Outcomes of involuntary hospital admission--a review. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 2006; 114(4):232-41. DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0447.2006.00823.x. View

Hiday V, Swartz M, Swanson J, Wagner H . Patient perceptions of coercion in mental hospital admission. Int J Law Psychiatry. 1997; 20(2):227-41. DOI: 10.1016/s0160-2527(97)00004-6. View

Johansson I, LUNDMAN B . Patients' experience of involuntary psychiatric care: good opportunities and great losses. J Psychiatr Ment Health Nurs. 2002; 9(6):639-47. DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2850.2002.00547.x. View

Jones I, Ahmed N, Catty J, McLaren S, Rose D, Wykes T . Illness careers and continuity of care in mental health services: a qualitative study of service users and carers. Soc Sci Med. 2009; 69(4):632-9. DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2009.06.015. View

McKenna B, Simpson A, Coverdale J, Laidlaw T . An analysis of procedural justice during psychiatric hospital admission. Int J Law Psychiatry. 2002; 24(6):573-81. DOI: 10.1016/s0160-2527(00)00069-8. View

10.

Bennett N, Lidz C, Monahan J, Mulvey E, Hoge S, Roth L . Inclusion, motivation, and good faith: the morality of coercion in mental hospital admission. Behav Sci Law. 1993; 11(3):295-306. DOI: 10.1002/bsl.2370110307. View

11.

Seale C, Chaplin R, Lelliott P, Quirk A . Sharing decisions in consultations involving anti-psychotic medication: a qualitative study of psychiatrists' experiences. Soc Sci Med. 2005; 62(11):2861-73. DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2005.11.002. View

12.

Priebe S, Katsakou C, Amos T, Leese M, Morriss R, Rose D . Patients' views and readmissions 1 year after involuntary hospitalisation. Br J Psychiatry. 2009; 194(1):49-54. DOI: 10.1192/bjp.bp.108.052266. View

13.

Broker M, Rohricht F, Priebe S . Initial assessment of hospital treatment by patients with paranoid schizophrenia: a predictor of outcome. Psychiatry Res. 1995; 58(1):77-81. DOI: 10.1016/0165-1781(95)02718-c. View

14.

Turton P, Demetriou A, Boland W, Gillard S, Kavuma M, Mezey G . One size fits all: or horses for courses? Recovery-based care in specialist mental health services. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 2011; 46(2):127-36. DOI: 10.1007/s00127-009-0174-6. View

15.

ODonoghue B, Lyne J, Hill M, Larkin C, Feeney L, OCallaghan E . Involuntary admission from the patients' perspective. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 2009; 45(6):631-8. DOI: 10.1007/s00127-009-0104-7. View

16.

Swartz M, Wagner H, Swanson J, Elbogen E . Consumers' perceptions of the fairness and effectiveness of mandated community treatment and related pressures. Psychiatr Serv. 2004; 55(7):780-5. DOI: 10.1176/appi.ps.55.7.780. View

17.

Pontin E, Peters S, Lobban F, Rogers A, Morriss R . Enhanced relapse prevention for bipolar disorder: a qualitative investigation of value perceived for service users and care coordinators. Implement Sci. 2009; 4:4. PMC: 2644665. DOI: 10.1186/1748-5908-4-4. View

18.

Katsakou C, Bowers L, Amos T, Morriss R, Rose D, Wykes T . Coercion and treatment satisfaction among involuntary patients. Psychiatr Serv. 2010; 61(3):286-92. DOI: 10.1176/ps.2010.61.3.286. View

19.

Canvin K, Bartlett A, Pinfold V . Acceptability of compulsory powers in the community: the ethical considerations of mental health service users on Supervised Discharge and Guardianship. J Med Ethics. 2005; 31(8):457-62. PMC: 1734205. DOI: 10.1136/jme.2003.004861. View

20.

Richardson M, Katsakou C, Priebe S . Association of treatment satisfaction and psychopathological sub-syndromes among involuntary patients with psychotic disorders. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 2010; 46(8):695-702. DOI: 10.1007/s00127-010-0236-9. View