Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2020 Jul;142(1):27-39.
doi: 10.1111/acps.13152. Epub 2020 Feb 9.

Preventing and reducing 'coercion' in mental health services: an international scoping review of English-language studies

P Gooding  1 , B McSherry  1 , C Roper  1
Affiliations

Preventing and reducing 'coercion' in mental health services: an international scoping review of English-language studies

P Gooding et al. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 2020 Jul.

Abstract

This article discusses initiatives aimed at preventing and reducing 'coercive practices' in mental health and community settings worldwide, including in hospitals in high-income countries, and in family homes and rural communities in low- and middle-income countries. The article provides a scoping review of the current state of English-language empirical research. It identifies several promising opportunities for improving responses that promote support based on individuals' rights, will and preferences. It also points out several gaps in research and practice (including, importantly, a gap in reviews of non-English-language studies). Overall, many studies suggest that efforts to prevent and reduce coercion appear to be effective. However, no jurisdiction appears to have combined the full suite of laws, policies and practices which are available, and which taken together might further the goal of eliminating coercion.

Keywords: coercion; human rights; reducing coercion.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flow chart showing exclusion process. [Colour figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com]
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. United Nations Human Rights Council . Resolution on mental health and human rights, UN Doc A/HRC/36/L.25 (2017) 4.
    1. Oxford Dictionaries .Definition of coercion in English. Oxford: Oxford University Press;2020. [cited 2019 Apr 7]. Available from: https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/coercion [Accessed 8 June 2019].
    1. Oxford Dictionaries .Definition of compulsion in English. Oxford: Oxford University Press; 2019. [cited 2019 Apr 7]. Available from: https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/compulsion. Accessed 8 June 2019].
    1. Szmukler G. Compulsion and “coercion” in mental health care. World Psychiatry 2015;14:259–261. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Monahan J, Lidz C, Hoge SK et al. coercion in the provision of mental health services: the macarthur studies In: Morrissey JP, Monohan J, eds. Research in community and mental health, Vol. 10 – Coercion in mental health services: international perspectives. Bingley, UK: Emerald Group Publishing, 1999:13–30.

Publication types